


Letters to the Dead

by Axelrocks



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-04-11 15:35:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 84,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4441451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Axelrocks/pseuds/Axelrocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl wants to get away from his brother, if only for a few days and Carol writes letters to the dead. Through those letters, left at different graves, Daryl learns more about the woman Carol. AU of Season 1 and on. Daryl and Merle are not with the original group. Caryl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is my new story and I'm really nervous to post this because its very different from what I write and different from what I've read. I'll be following the timeline as close as I can and keep with canon as best as I can, too. Some things will be drawn out and some things won't. I didn't think this would be very long, but as of right now, it's going to be decent-sized.
> 
> Also, Daryl is a bit different in this one. Not too different, but you will see early on that he's not the same season one Daryl. I'll talk more about that later when it becomes even more obvious. Well, I hope you all enjoy!

**Chapter One**

_**Late August** _

Thirty-one days.

That was the number of days the world had been thrown into chaos with the dead stumbling around eating the living. It was also the number of days Daryl had come home after a hunting trip to find Merle barricading all of the windows and doors, barring any unwanted company, and it had been just Daryl and his brother, since. This was nothing new for the Dixon brothers. It had always been just them, even when the world had been normal, but now, they could very well be the only living people in the world. A fact Merle had accepted readily, and didn't seem too bothered by, while Daryl hoped otherwise. However, it unnerved him a little to know that if they had never listened to the reports as the deadly virus spread, they may have never known what was going on outside the little bubble of their lives. They would have never known that the dead were walking around until they happened across one, and who knew what would have happened, then. They had been isolated from the world before the Turn in their shack of a home, miles away from civilization, and still were. This time, though, it seemed to be working in their benefit. They didn't have very many unwanted guests. Dead or alive.

"So, what's on the menu, today, baby brother?" Merle's voice sounded unusually loud and grating in the otherwise quiet of the little patch of land. It had also been thirty-one days of being stuck with Merle, and Daryl was itching to get away, if only for a day or two, or he'd go insane. The daily morning hunts had been a reprieve, but only slightly. Most days he came back to their house, and wanted to turn right around to head back into the quiet of the woods. It was getting hugely frustrating having to constantly provide them with meals every day and to come back seeing his brother sitting on his ass doing nothing.

Daryl loved his brother, and was glad they had been together, for once, when the world had gone belly up. But thirty-one days of constantly being in one another's presences was wearing both of their patience's extremely thin. One of them was bound to snap, and it would most likely be Merle. Daryl would get the shit end of it, too. That's how it always was. Merle did something stupid, and he would be the one to bear the brunt of it.

"Squirrel," he answered and dropped the string of three rodents in front of his brother. It wasn't much, but it was all he could find in the few hours he had been out. Game was getting scarce. "Why don't you skin and gut them while I wash this shit off my hands?"

While lining up a shot for a kill, a deer which he hadn't seen in weeks, a walker had managed to sneak up on him in his moment of distraction. A chunk of his shoulder would have been missing if he hadn't seen the thing lunge at him from the corner of his eye. His crossbow went flying out of reach as living human and walking corpse fell to the forest floor. Daryl wrestled with the rotting body before gaining the upper hand and reaching into the sheath at his side where he carried the knife. The sharp point of the blade went cleanly through the decomposing skull and dark blood sprayed all over his hands and forearms. Throwing off the now dead weight, Daryl had looked at himself in disgust and decided that it was time to head back to the house.

Early on, the Dixon brothers had found out that the only way to stop the walkers for good was to shoot or impale them in the brain. No place else would do the trick, as Merle had found out almost the fatal way. It been their first venture from their home and into town since the world had ended. They were running low on supplies and knew they needed to raid some stores, if no one else had gotten to them first.

They broke into the back door of the general store, and Merle, getting slightly cocky, had thought they were home free...until a woman who had been slumped near the door, grabbed his pant leg. He reacted quickly and shot the woman in the chest, the power of the blow had flung her to her back and Merle had thought that was it. So, had Daryl and they continued to walk by it.

They made quick work of getting everything they needed and could fit in their bags before they walked to the back door and their truck. Merle reached for the door, just as the same female walker from before grabbed his arm and nearly took a bite out it. This time, it was Daryl who had reacted quickly, and shot a bolt through its head. It immediately let go of Merle and fell to the ground, this time dead for good.

If Daryl had been seconds slower in shooting the walker, he knew he would be crudely amputating his brother's hand right there on the floor of the general store.

"Just three today?" Merle called to his back as he walked away. Reflexively, Daryl hunched his shoulders, waiting for a blow that didn't come. "Yesterday, you had twice this many. These ain't goin' to be more than an afternoon snack for us."

 _Then get off your lazy ass and go huntin' yourself!_  The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he knew if he were to speak them aloud, a fight would start and Daryl was too exhausted to have to deal, or fend off, a pissed off Merle.

"Game was scarce," he said, being smart. Turning to face his brother, who was wiping his knife on a pant leg, Daryl was struck with a sudden idea. "Was thinkin' about tryin' to go a few miles out to see if there's anythin' else out there. Thought I could take the truck and maybe find ourselves a deer or somethin'. I've been doin' too much huntin' around here, and there ain't much left."

Merle paused in his task of skinning the first squirrel, seeming to mull the idea over in his head. Daryl tried his best not to look anxious as he waited for his brother's answer. Merle would be able to catch up on it real quick and know something was up.

"All right," he finally said. "But you gotta get me more than three fuckin' squirrels to live off of while you're gone." Clearly, he had no plans on going out to look for his own food while Daryl was away. Really, Daryl wasn't that surprised.

A triumphant grin was stopped before it could spread across Daryl's face. It would only serve to make Merle suspicious. "Okay," he said, careful, trying not to sound too eager. He was still in a bit of disbelief that Merle had let him go. Besides his solo hunting trips, Merle insisted they went everywhere else, together.

"I'll go out tomorrow and try to find some more game to stock up," he continued. They had a root cellar underneath the house that was accessible from the outside. It was cool and was used as a place to store their meat. However, it was no where near the temperatures of a freezer, and within a few days the meat would go bad if it wasn't eaten.

"Then, the day after, you'll take the truck and head out?" Merle asked without looking up from his skinning.

"Yeah, that's what I was planning on doing," he answered, chewing on his lip. "That all right?"

"Course it is. Gettin' real tired of eatin' rodents. It would be nice if you could snag us a deer. We haven't had venison in awhile. Oh!" He looked up and pointed the bloody knife in his direction. "If you come across any house, might as well take a look inside and get anythin' else that could be useful."

Ransacking houses was Daryl's least favorite thing to do in this world gone bad. Some times they would be empty, their owners having fled when the outbreak started, and other times, they happen upon their remains, either as the walking dead or results of a suicide. Daryl couldn't help but feel like an intruder every time he walked into another person's home, but it was the end of the world and they needed to do what needed to be done to survive.

"Got it," he said. "I'm goin' to clean my hands, and then get a fire started so we can cook those up." Daryl found himself immediately in a better mood, now that his brother was allowing him to get away for a day or two.

At one of the far corners of their property sat an old water pump. It had been put there many years ago from an older generation of Dixons, but Daryl and Merle had never used it growing up. Their grandpa had fixed up the house with running water, and the water pump outside had been forgotten. However, now that the world had ended and running water was no longer, the water pump had become a very important asset to the Dixon brothers. They had been surprised that it still worked after all the years it had sat in that corner untouched.

Daryl pumped the handle, stuck his hands under the flow of cool water and began to scrub away every last speck of dark blood he could find. As he did this, he made sure to keep a sharp eye on the tree line, not wanting to be surprised by another stray walker. Even though it had been awhile since any walkers had made an appearance on their property.

Just a few feet from the pump, a small stack of wood was piled. In the beginning, Merle had taken over the job of gathering and splitting wood while Daryl hunted, but like most things, his older brother lost interest and the job fell to him. Sometimes, Daryl couldn't help but wonder how Merle would have fared if he was on his own. What of Merle hadn't been released from jail when the reports of the spreading virus had started?

Daryl knew what  _he_  would have done if that had been the case. He would have gone through hell to get his brother out of there. Merle was the only family Daryl had left, and it had been that way for a  _long_  time. The Dixon brothers had learned early on that they could only rely on one another. However, with each passing day, Daryl wondered if that could be considered true, anymore. Merle  _needed_  him, but Daryl wasn't sure if he needed Merle. Daryl had learned when he was younger that the only person who  _wouldn't_  hurt him was himself.

"Hey, Daryl!" Merle was standing, now. The string of freshly skinned squirrels were being held in one of his large hands. Daryl winced when he heard his brother yell across the yard. It didn't matter that he had told him that walkers were attracted to sound, his brother still insisted on doing it, sometimes.

"Yeah?" With arms full of twigs and dried bits of fallen bark, Daryl made his way to where they normally had a fire. They did all of their cooking outside, and really only went inside when the weather wasn't cooperating or to go to bed.

"Did you want these made into a stew, or are you goin' to fry them up?" Of course Daryl would be the one to cook them. Dumping what he had in his arms, he reached for the string. The slightly good mood from earlier was quickly dissipating.

"What do you want?"

Merle rubbed his chin, which had a few days growth of stubble on it. "Hm, if we have any of that canned shit left, a stew would make those three squirrels a filling meal."

"Why don't you start the fire and I'll get started on cookin'."

"You know what we need, baby brother?" Merle asked as he kneeled over the fire pit, hands paused in midair before he struck a match.

Daryl couldn't care less to know what Merle though they needed. There was already so much. Like electricity, so they could have hot water, lights and a place to store meat for several days at a time. "What?"

"A woman."

"Why?" He asked, immediately. They were doing just fine on their own and didn't need to add a woman to their little group. Merle would most likely lure the woman into his bed, eventually, anyway, and once that happened, things would go downhill from there.

"So she can do that cookin' and shit, instead of you. But I guess for now, I can just call you Darylina." Merle started to laugh, like he told some big joke and Daryl just shook his head before walking into the house.

Daryl definitely needed those few days away from there.

The next day, Daryl got an even earlier start than normal on his hunting. He wanted to bring as much meat for Merle as he could so that he wouldn't hear any bitching when he got back. It seemed like all Merle did nowadays. Bitch and sit on his ass, whittling. Nothing had really changed, and Daryl resigned himself to believing that it would be just him and Merle until the day they died. Once again, nothing had changed since the world had ended. They were Dixons and Dixons didn't do friends or families. Their pa had one, and he drove their mother to her death, and treated them both like shit. The scars on Daryl's back were proof of that.

Merle didn't know about his scars. Every time Daryl's older brother left home, whether it be the army or jail, their daddy turned to Daryl and left marks on the younger boy's skin that would be there for the rest of his life. If Merle had known what was going on as it happened, there would have be no doubt he would have killed Pa Dixon.

A noise to his left had him swinging around quickly with his crossbow. No rotten, undead fucker was going to sneak up on him this time. Observant eyes scanned the trees around him, and Daryl didn't see anything moving around, but he didn't let his guard down. This time if a walker surprised him, he might not be able to get away from the encounter bite free.

* * *

Several hours later, Daryl returned so exhausted that his feet dragged on the ground. Never had he stayed out in the woods that late. Most of the game went into hiding when the sun was high in the sky, anyway, so there had been no point. But Merle wanted more meat and Daryl planned on delivering.

All together, he had managed to successfully hunt five squirrels, two rabbits and a duck, which had been a welcomed surprise. If Merle complained this time, Daryl knew that he wouldn't be responsible for his actions. He was so tired and sore, that he knew if he stopped, even just for a minute on his trek home, he would fall asleep on his feet.

When the house finally came into view, Daryl saw that his brother wasn't lounging outside like he usually did during the day. However, he didn't think anything of it. If Merle wasn't lazing around outside, then he was most likely lazing around inside.

It wasn't surprising when he walked into the house, through the back door that led into the kitchen, to hear Merle's loud snores coming from the living room. Placing all the kills on the kitchen table, he stood in the doorway leading into the living room and saw his brother fast asleep on their threadbare couch, his face covered by a magazine.

Getting a closer look, Daryl saw that it was one of Merle's old skin mags. The woman on the cover was very scantily dressed and posed provocatively, and Daryl grimaced thinking about what kind of picture Merle had his face buried in.

Daryl crept into the room, a mischievous grin on his face, and stopped right by the long coffee table in front of the couch. Lifting one of his boot covered feet, Daryl kicked the table and sent it scrapping loudly across the hardwood floor, which had more scoff marks and scratches than he could count.

Merle jerked awake, instantly, and the magazine went flying to the other side of the room, fluttering down on Merle's boots, sitting by the front door. "What the  _hell_?" He growled when he finally got his bearings and saw Daryl smirking down at him. "Can't you see I was nappin'?"

 _That's all you ever seem to do, anymore._  Daryl wasn't fool enough to say the words aloud. "Brought you back some meat," he said, instead. "Figured you could be the one to skin them and store them, while I take myself a nap."

Merle rubbed the sleep from his eyes, stretched until his spine popped and stood. "You bring enough this time?"

Daryl bristled. "See for yourself," he snapped and pointed to the kitchen. He didn't stick around to see what his brother did after that, and headed straight to his room. Slamming the door shut, he toed off his boats and flopped on his bed. Within seconds, he was asleep.

It seemed like he had just closed his eyes, though, when he was jolted awake by Merle's shouting coming from the front of the house. "Daryl! Get your ass in here. We have some biters on the front lawn!"

Daryl up and slipping his boots on in seconds. He raced through the house and picked up his crossbow where he had set it just outside of the kitchen. Merle was in the living room peeking through the dark curtains of their front window. Daryl joined him and saw that there were about six walkers ambling about in their yard.

"Huh," Merle said in slight amusement, a grin spreading across his face. Daryl wasn't sure if he liked that look.

"What?"

"I know one of them fuckers. He owed me money."

"Money ain't worth much, now, Merle." Daryl stepped away from the window and loaded his bow with a bolt and stuck another between his teeth for easy access. "You ready to take care of these fuckers?" He inched towards the front door, but wouldn't open it until his brother was ready to go. Even though six walkers didn't seem like much for the Dixon brothers, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Leave me the fucker with half his jaw missin'. I'm goin' to enjoy puttin' a knife through his cheatin' skull." Cracking his knuckles, Merle took one last look out the window before joining Daryl at the door. In one of his hands, he held a large buck knife that still had dried blood caked on it from the last time he had used it to stab through a rotting skull.

Daryl wrapped a hand around the doorknob and on Merle's signal, flung it open. The first bolt went flying, embedding itself into the nearest walking corpse's head before Daryl had fully stepped out the door. Merle had stepped from behind his younger brother with a whoop and had already taken out two of them with his knife before Daryl had reloaded his bow. He let another bolt fly, and then took out another one with his knife. Meanwhile, Merle started circling the walker with the half missing jaw and taunted it.

"Come on, Merle," Daryl called to him. "Finish him so we can clean this mess." They always burned the remains of the walkers that stumbled on their property.

"Aw, come on, Darylina. I'm just havin' a little fun." Merle cackled as he dodged to the left when the walker lunged for him. Daryl kept a sharp eye on the walker and a good grip on his crossbow, just in case Merle did something dumb and put himself in a deadly situation. The next time the thing lunged, Merle grabbed it by the collar of its torn up shirt, and finally, stabbed it in the head with knife. The walker slumped and Merle dropped it to the ground with a satisfied grin, breath coming out of him in pants.

Daryl rolled his eyes and slung the crossbow on his back so he could start dragging the bodies into a pile. Another thing he hated about the walking dead was their stench. The stench of burning walkers always made his eyes water. "Come on, Merle," he said, grunting as he began moving the dead weight. "I want to get this done before we lose light." He turned just in time to watch Merle lean over the body of the man he once knew and pull something from the back pocket of the man's jeans. His wallet.

Opening it, Merle whistled low. "Well, look here." He pulled out a good amount of cash. "Think you was holdin' out on me, Joe." He kicked the corpse and stuffed the wad of cash in his pocket before throwing the wallet down.

"You know the only thing that's good for now is starting a fire." Merle did a lot of odd things, but this one took the cake. They never took things from the walkers they killed, especially not money.

"You never know, baby brother. We ain't the only people alive, and for all we know, this whole thing could blow over. We could be something a Dixon's never been." He clapped his Daryl on the shoulder. "Rich. Also, you may never know, we could come across people who may use money or anything of the like to barter with. Best be prepared for anythin'." He walked past him and grabbed on the corpse's and began dragging it farther from the house.

Daryl didn't get his brother's logic. Why would people still value something that was useless, now? There wasn't anything to buy, anymore. You needed something, like food or water, you just took it. All the stuff people spent their money on, like TVs, phones and computers were utterly useless.

But he knew not to argue with Merle, and focused on the task at hand. Walker clean up.

The next morning, Daryl left at dawn, wanting to get an early start on his day. Merle hadn't been awake when he had thrown some supplies together, but he didn't mind. He didn't need to say goodbye to him. Instead, he scribbled a quick note and placed on the kitchen table in plain view explaining that he would be home sometime tomorrow. It only gave him a day away from the place, but hopefully it would be the start of more and much longer trips in the future.

However, it felt odd leaving Merle and going someplace on his own. Not that he had never been on his own before, because he had...for many years when Merle was away, but they hadn't spent any time a part from one another since the world had ended. Daryl was a bit nervous that he would come back to the house and find Merle gone.

* * *

An hour later, Daryl pulled the truck to the side of the road, satisfied that the woods were thick enough to be possibly hiding some good game. From the truck bed, he picked up his bow and a bottle of water. Later, he would make camp at a quarry he knew was a few miles away. He and Merle had gone fishing in the crystal clear lake when they were younger, and Daryl had always enjoyed that time with his brother. He would be able to pitch his tent on the shore of the lake and enjoy a peaceful night of looking at the stars. Thinking of that alone had him searching even harder for some animal to shoot.

It didn't take him long to shoot a rabbit. The small animal had ran right in front of him, and with his reflexes as they were, it was dead within seconds. Already it looked like the game here was plentiful and Merle would be pleased with the haul Daryl would be bringing back. Tying the rabbit to his belt, Daryl moved farther into the woods, ready to snag anything else that happened across his path.

A few hours later, Daryl returned to his truck, exhausted and proud. On his belt, he had several squirrels, which he would cook for himself, and a few rabbits he would save for later in one of the coolers. While out, he had seen a few deer, but had refrained from shooting them. He would have to save them for tomorrow so they wouldn't go bad under the Georgian heat. They would not fit in the cooler he had planned on storing in the quarry lake to keep its contents cool.

The quarry was about a fifteen minute drive from where Daryl was, but he planned on parking the truck a good mile away just in case anyone else came sniffing around the quarry, saw it there and spotted him. Even though they hadn't come across anyone living since the world had ended didn't mean there weren't people out there. It was impossible that he and Merle were the only two living men remaining.

Once he found a good place to park fifteen minutes later, Daryl grabbed his pack, which contained a small pop up tent, slung it over his shoulder, his bow and the small red cooler. The sun would be down soon, and he still had to set up camp, find some kindling for a fire and maybe wash up a bit in the lake. There wasn't a patch of skin on him that wasn't covered in dirt or blood.

As he walked through the woods, he began to hear a slight buzzing sound. Almost like a group of people quietly talking. Maybe he was going crazy. But as he walked, he made sure to keep his steps light so if there was someone or someones out there, then they wouldn't hear him and mistake him for a walker.

In the distance, he could spot the lake and smiled in relief. Nothing had changed about it since he was a little boy. However, before he could break through the line of trees, he stopped in his tracks. Kneeling down by the water's edge was a woman. A woman with short hair and whose baggy clothes swallowed up her small frame. She was by herself and her shoulders were shaking slightly, as if she were laughing...or crying.

Daryl took a small step closer to see that she held a cloth in her hand and dabbed at her lip with it. Crouching down, he set all of supplies down and moved closer. He was still under the cover of trees, but now, he could see the woman's features more clearly.

She could have been pretty if her lip wasn't swollen and bleeding and a bruise wasn't blossoming under her eye, which seemed to highlight the already impossible blue of them. Another bruise was on her arm in the shape of fingers, and that was when everything came together for him. A flash of anger went through his body unexpectantly. This woman was getting beaten by someone, most likely a husband. The dead had risen and some bastard was still beating on his wife?

"Mama!" At the sound of a little girl's voice coming from behind them, Daryl ducked even lower. There was a child involved, too? Memories of how his own father treated him and his brother burned hot in his mind. He had only had a glimpse of this woman, and he already wanted to jump out and protect her.

 _Yeah, like that will go over real well, dumbass!_  He chided himself. The two females would probably scream in extreme fright at the sight of him, and someone would shoot him on sight. No, it was best he stay hidden. But he couldn't keep his eyes of the woman.

The woman started at the voice, swiped at her cheeks and turned to face the little blonde girl running towards her. Those pretty blue eyes shown with happiness at the sight of her daughter.

"Sophia, honey, what is it?" The woman's arms opened and Sophia ran into them.

"I missed you, mommy. After our game, Carl had to go with Ms. Lori and get ready for bed, and I saw that you weren't by our tent. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart. I just needed to clean up a bit."

The girl cupped her mother's face between her small hands. "Daddy hit you, again. Mama, you're bleeding!" She took the cloth from her mother's hand and gently dabbed at the blood on her mother's lip. Daryl felt out of place watching the extremely tender moment between mother and daughter.

"It's okay, Sophia. I just-"

"I hate him." The words were spoken with such venom that Daryl was surprised that they had come from the little girl's mouth, and yet, Sophia hadn't stopped cleaning the blood off her mother's face.

"Sophia! Don't say that." The woman pulled her daughter close in a tight hug, which Sophia returned. "He's your father."

"But he hurts you, and I don't like it."

Once again, Daryl's fists clenched. If the next person to come down that hill was the abusive bastard, he would hop out of hiding spot and beat the shit out of him. He swore he would.

"Come on, Sophia, let's head back to camp. Everyone will wondering where we are." She stood, gripped her daughter's small hand, and together, began walking back to where their camp was.

As they walked, Daryl could still hear Sophia. "Mama, Glenn told me and Carl that tomorrow he, Ms. Andrea and Jacqui, and Mr. Morales and T-Dog were going to try to find us some marshmallows on the run they're going on, so we can toast them over the fire." She could barely contain her excitement. "Won't that be fun?"

"Of course it will." The woman smiled down at Sophia, but even from the growing distance of the two, Daryl could see that it didn't reach her eyes.

He watched them as they completely disappeared from sight, all the while his mind was reeling. That woman and Sophia were part of a group, and it wasn't just them and the abusive asshole, either. Maybe they welcomed newcomers. The Dixon's were tough, but he didn't know if they could live the rest of their lives just the two of them. Standing up, Daryl made his decision. Tomorrow when he came back with his load of meat, he would try and convince Merle to join the group at the quarry.

And all the awhile, as he tried to convince his brother of the good being with others would do, he would tell himself it wasn't because of the little girl and the delicate woman with the pretty blue eyes that was the reason he wanted to join the group.

Nope. It wasn't because of them  _at all._

* * *

Carol sensed eyes on her back as she wiped away the blood and tears from her face, but not the controlling eyes of her husband or the hungry eyes of a stray walker. These were curious eyes. Tilting her head slightly to the side, she peered at the woods to her back and didn't see anything amiss. Maybe being married to an abusive asshole for thirteen years was making her paranoid.

"Mama!" Jumping, she knew the voice was Sophia's, but she hadn't expected her daughter to follow her down here. Quickly, she wiped away the tears on her cheeks, knowing she couldn't do anything about her swollen lip and bruised eye, and opened her arms to gather her daughter close.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

That night, Daryl didn't set up his tent on the shore of the lake like he had planned. Instead, he gathered all of his things and walked the mile back to his truck, where he slept in the cramped cab. In the morning, he would go on a quick hunting trip, hopefully catch a deer, and then, go back to his brother, who he would tell about the quarry group. They needed this. They needed other people. For now, the two of them being together was working well for them, but how long would that last? One of them could get hurt, and the other would have no way of helping them. This quarry group could have a doctor.

Also, with a group their chances of survival would go up. The wouldn't have to worry about food so much, and hopefully, Merle would get off his ass and do something. However, that didn't seem that likely.

And Daryl...well, he would keep an eye on the prick who beat his wife. It was obvious no one else was in that camp, otherwise his ass would have been kicked out...or should have been, anyway. Just because the world had ended, and there were creatures out there hungering for human flesh, didn't mean a man could put his hands on his wife. No reason, at all.

Just thinking about that little girl coming across her mama, who had been all bruised and bloody, made him angry all over again. No child should have to witness that.  _He_  shouldn't have witnessed it when it had happened to his own mother. Yet, his young mind had been filled with many images of his mama hurt and bleeding because of his father. His mama would try to hide it from him, but Daryl always could hear her crying softly in the bathroom as she cleaned up.

No matter how much makeup his mother would put on, she couldn't completely cover the marks Daryl's father had left on her face. Just underneath her eye, there had been a scar that had been the result of his father shoving her into the broken shards of his beer bottle on the floor.

There had been so much blood.

Daryl had been only six. Merle was gone, off with some friends probably getting into trouble. When he saw his mama's face, a mask of red blood, he screamed and screamed until his pa had come over and shut him up with a powerful backhand that had sent him flying. Daryl learned from that moment not to draw attention to himself when his father was around.

His back began to ache with the recollection of the memories and started the truck. He really needed to kill something.

* * *

Three hours later, Daryl pulled into the backyard, a deer and a cooler full of kills were in the truck bed. Merle had been sitting outside, leaning against the house. In his hands, he held a knife and a block of wood. Daryl wondered what animal he was carving, now.

When Daryl pulled in and climbed out of the truck, Merle, instead of greeting his baby brother, went straight to the back of the truck and whooped in delight at what he saw.

Merle slapped him on the back, his grin huge. "You did a good job, baby brother. We're goin' to eat good, tonight! I'll go and get the fire started." Daryl raised an eyebrow as his brother walked off to gather some firewood. Volunteering to actually do work was a first for Merle.

This reminded him, though, of what he had to discuss with his brother. "Merle, wait," he called, somewhat reluctantly. He didn't know how Merle would react to the news. "Uh, there's somethin' I wanted to talk to you about." Daryl felt a nervous sweat break out across his skin. This could be the only time to join with other survivors, and he didn't want to fuck it up.

Merle had turned and Daryl saw his eyes narrow. "Yeah?"

"...But it can wait until after we've eaten." Daryl cursed at being a coward. If Merle agreed, they could have been on their way to the way to the pretty blue-eyed wom-, uh, the quarry group. Other survivors.

"All right, then." Merle didn't seem to sense that there was something off with his younger brother and turned back to his task.

Daryl went to the back of the truck, still angry at himself, and opened the hatch to drag the doe out. Dragging it to the edge of their property, he began skinning and gutting it while Merle got a decent sized fire going.

"You got some more rabbits, too!" The excitement in Merle's voice was clear. "Maybe you should go out more often." If Daryl hadn't stumbled across that woman and her daughter, then this would have made him happy. It was exactly what he had hoped Merle would say after this hunting excursion. But a lot had changed in his mind the last twenty-four hours.

Later that evening, with his belly full of venison, Merle lay on his back in the dirt, content. Daryl was across the fire from him, picking at his food. Still nervous and uneasy.

"You said you had somethin' to tell me, Daryl?" Merle propped himself up on an elbow and Daryl looked through the fire at him. The orange flames caused shadows to flicker across his brother's face, making it unreadable.

"Uh, yeah." Ready or not, Daryl had to tell him, now. Luckily, it seemed that his mood was good since his belly was full. With Merle in good spirits, maybe this would go in Daryl's favor. All he had to do was  _not_  screw it up.

"Well, go on. I'm listenin'."

"Uh. When I was out huntin', I came across a camp of people at the quarry we used to fish at when we was kids," he started.

This peeked Merle's interest right away. "No shit? They see you?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I kept my distance, scoped them out." He didn't mention that all he saw was a woman and her young daughter. "They seemed friendly enough and I was thinkin' maybe we could...meet up with them. There's strength in numbers." Daryl didn't even want to look at his brother, afraid of what he would see written all over face.

After a few moments of tense silence, and no outburst of obnoxious anger, Daryl finally braved a look at his brother. To his surprise, Merle seemed to be in thought. Could he really be...thinking about it?

"You know, little brother, I've been thinkin' along them lines, myself. We ain't the only two people left, and it would be nice if I had more than your face to look at for the rest of my life." Sitting up all the way, he smirked. "How do you think they'd welcome us, though? I ain't goin' all the way out there to get a gun shoved in my face and someone tellin' me to leave."

Daryl hadn't really thought about how they would be received. He really hadn't thought much more than just trying to convince Merle to go. But he knew that he and Merle didn't look like the most friendly of people. "Maybe we could offer them somethin'? Bring them some meat. I can hunt before we show up. They won't turn down food." Or at least, he hoped they wouldn't.

"Hm. If'n you're sure they won't kill us on sight, then I think this could be a good opportunity for us. You did say there were a lot of supplies, right? Enough to feed a lot of mouths?"

Though Daryl hadn't seen it for himself, he had heard Sophia talking about a guy named Glenn going out for some marshmallows, so he figured they had to be pretty well off. "Yeah, they have to. I saw at least ten of them with more being on a run for supplies." The lie rolled off his tongue, easily. When Sophia had been speaking to her mother, she had mentioned seven people and then, there was herself, her mother and her bastard daddy.

"Well, I'm for it!" Merle decided with a smile, and lay back down on the dirt. "Let's get to packin' all of our stuff tomorrow. I'm sure it'll all fit in the back of the truck. Then, we can say goodbye to this piece of shit out and hit the road the day after."

Daryl nodded, and tried hard not to let his own smile break through. Everything had gone how he wanted, which didn't happen very often. Especially not with Merle. Picking up his plate, his appetite had returned. "Sounds good."

* * *

They left four days after Daryl's discovery of the quarry camp. It had rained one of those days, and Merle refused to pack all of their stuff in the truck while it was coming down. Daryl, though impatient to leave, didn't blame him. He hadn't wanted to venture out into the deluge, either. So, they had left a day later than originally planned.

Daryl drove, as expected, with his mind elsewhere. His eyes paid attention to the road, but his mind was on the woman and her daughter. If things went as planned, he would be face to face with her. How would she react to seeing him? Would she look at him in disgust, as most people did? He hoped not. There was something...different about the woman than most people he had met.

All the while, as he drove, Merle talked nonstop.

"So, of those people you saw, some of them were women, right?" Merle said this with a nudge to Daryl's ribs, which forced him out of his thoughts.

"Course," he answered, right away knowing that was what Merle wanted to hear. It didn't matter that he technically only saw  _one_  woman, who was married and definitely not the type Merle would go after. She had a child. Merle tended to steer clear of those.

"Describe them to me. I wanna know if I'll be gettin' any action in this group." He leaned back in his chair, eyes closed and waited for Daryl to speak.

However, Daryl's mouth had gone dry. "Uh...Well, I only saw three of them. Of the ten, two were kids and the rest were guys."

"So, what did these woman look like?" Merle was not going to let it go.

"Well, uh, two of them had kids."

"Psh, forget them, then." He swiped an arm through the air and looked disappointed. "What about the other one?"

"Oh, well, she was...blonde." One of them had to be blonde, right?

"Young? I hope you ain't talkin' about a sixteen year old. I ain't no perv."

Daryl shook his head. "Uh, she was probably around mid-thirties. I don't know for sure." He was talking out of his ass, and hoped his brother hadn't noticed how tight he was gripping the steering wheel.

"Hm, interestin'." Merle settled more into his chair. "Really think they're goin' like the deer and rabbits we snagged."

Daryl wanted to snort. Merle hadn't done shit when it came to hunting the animals. If anything, he was the reason why they hadn't had  _two_  deer to offer the group because of his big mouth.

* * *

Rick had wanted to leave once all the walkers and bodies had been taken care of. Shane, who had known Rick before the Turn, had agreed with him. They had thought they were safe at the quarry, until a herd of walkers had destroyed that feeling of safety when they had stumbled into their camp the night before. Carol could still hear her daughter's screams as she dodged a lunging walker and ran straight to her. Luckily, nothing had happened to either one of them and they were still alive.

She has asked Sophia to stick close to Lori, who was doing her best to shield her son, Carl, from the devastation. They had lost a lot of good people, Amy being one of them,... and one not so good. Picking up an abandoned pickaxe, Carol walked over to the mostly eaten corpse of her now dead husband.

Over and over, she smashed the sharp point of the axe into the thing's head until the skull was shattered and Ed was unrecognizable. She hadn't even known she was crying until a few tears slipped from her cheeks and landed on her now blistering hands. If only she had had the courage to do this when Ed had been alive...

"Good riddance, you bastard," she whispered and dropped the bloody pickaxe by the body.

Much later, everything was packed and the survivors were all scattered around the graves of their fallen. Poor Andrea looked like she didn't plan on leaving her sister's grave, but Carol knew Dale would never allow that to happen. Carol's heart went out the woman who had stood up to Ed a few days earlier for her.

She hadn't wanted to bury Ed. She had wanted him to burn...like he was surely doing now in Hell, but their 'people' didn't get burned. So, now, his grave was set far apart from everyone else, as she had wanted it to be. Carol made her way over to the pile of freshly dug dirt, picking up a large rock as she did. In her other hand, she held a folded piece of paper. A letter. To her dead husband.

Kneeling down, she placed the letter on the pile of dirt, then put the rock on top of it so it wouldn't blow away. Ed would never read the words written there, but it had felt good to write them.

Carol stood, then, eyes dry. No more tears would be shed over the expense of her bastard husband. Without looking back once, she walked over to her daughter and wrapped her up in her arms.

* * *

The camp was trashed, abandoned and littered with charred remains of walkers. In the days after Daryl had spotted them, they had been overrun. There was no telling who survived.

Had the woman...?

Sophia...?

He didn't want to think about what might have become of them. It was foolish to even get attached to them in the first place. It was foolish to get attached to  _anyone_  when they could be ripped from you at any second.

"Well, this didn't go as planned, huh?" Merle didn't seem bothered by the still smoking bodies and the bloody dirt all around them.

"Looks like they packed up good, too." Merle continued to survey the area. "But they could have left some stuff. Why don't we take a look around, then?"

Daryl didn't want to 'take a look'. This was almost as bad as looting random houses. People had died here. Just standing in the middle of so much destruction made Daryl sick to his stomach and he nearly lost his breakfast as he doubled over. Merle hadn't taken a notice to his brother. While clutching his stomach, Daryl saw tire tracks leading away from the camp.  _Some_  had gotten away.

"We should follow them," he blurted and straightened. "Some of them got away." He pointed to the tracks. "Looks like they're headin' to the highway. We could follow them. They'll definitely be needin' us, after this."

Merle gave him an odd look. "Suppose it couldn't hurt. We made it this far. But first, look around to see if you can find anythin' useful."

Daryl complied, relieved that they were still going to be in pursuit of living people. Looking to the side, on the opposite end of camp, he saw a little path that lead up a small hill. It was well-treaded, and, curious, he decided that he would take a look.

However, what was at the top of the hill surprised him.

There were graves. Many graves. Too many people had died in this little camp and he had to wonder how many were left. Sophia? Her mother? That little boy, Carl? Carl's mom? He didn't even  _know_  these people and he felt their loss as if they were his own.

Something fluttered in the corner of his eye, and he turned to see a grave far off from the others. On top of the mound of dirt, something white was peeking out from under a rock. Walking closer, he saw that it was a folded piece of paper. Opening it, he saw from the beginning that it was a letter.

_Dear Ed,_

_I hate you._

_I've hated you for a_ long _time. I can't even remember a time where I_ didn't _hate you, and I'm glad you're dead. I know it does me no good to write you a letter, now, since you're burning in hell, but for once, I wanted to have the last word._

_Slamming that pickaxe in your head over and over let me feel an ounce of the woman I was before I married you. Strong. It hasn't even been ten hours since you were ripped apart and it already_ _feels_ _like_ _a weight has been lifted off Sophia and my shoulders. This world may have ended, and we all have to fight to survive, but me and her, we're going to live this life to the fullest without you. She will finally be able to be the little girl that living under you had_ _suppressed_ _._

_Goodbye and good riddance,_

_Carol_

After reading the letter, a relieved laugh escaped his mouth before he could stop it. Sophia was still alive, and the abusive bastard was not. He had died the death he deserved. Torn apart and eaten by walkers. And the icing on the cake was that his wife had slammed a pickaxe into his head.

Glancing down at the very bottom of the letter, Daryl traced the name written there with his fingers. That woman, the one with the impossibly blue eyes,...her name was Carol.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

The graves were just lumps of freshly dug soil and none of them had markers that named the people now lying in the ground. None of them, except one. It read the name  _Amy_. Daryl wondered what that woman looked like. Did she have family in the camp? Obviously, someone had really cared about her to take the time make a wooden cross to mark her final resting place.

Wondering past the graves, again, on his way to the trail, Daryl wondered if any of the people Sophia mentioned were dead now. Were Lori and Carl still alive? How about Glenn? Did he ever bring back those marshmallows he promised to look for?

Daryl shook his head, trying to free it of those thoughts. That group was  _nothing_  to him. Not now, anyway.

After making sure Carol's letter was safely tucked in his pocket, Daryl made his way down the path to Merle. He felt bad about taking a letter meant for a dead man, but he knew he couldn't just leave it behind. It was important to him, now, these words written by Carol. Even if they weren't for him. And honestly, he was glad they weren't written for him.

"Did you find anythin' useful up there, bro? I didn't find shit." Merle was standing in the middle of the abandoned camp, a small pack in his hand. Nothing useful must have been in it because he dropped it over his shoulder when he saw Daryl approach.

"Nah. Just a bunch of graves." The piece of folded paper was burning a whole in his pocket. If Merle were to find out he had it, Daryl knew his brother would never understand. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if he fully understood why  _he_  had taken it in the first place.

"How many do you think are left? Are they even goin' to be worth join' up with after this?"

If it was just Carol and Sophia left, they would more than enough to join up with. But he would never say that aloud. Daryl was surprised that he was even thinking about it. The only glimpse of Carol had been when she was washing off the blood from her face, because of her now dead, abusive husband. He hadn't even  _spoken_  with the woman, and here he was, willing to go all over the state of Georgia to find her and her daughter.

Shrugging, Daryl hoped it gave him a nonchalant vibe. "Who knows? I guess we'll find out when we catch up with them."

"Hmm." Merle rubbed his chin. "Well, then, we should be probably get our asses in gear. I say they are about a day ahead of us."

Daryl made sure to temper down the flash of excitement and relief when he spoke. "You're right. Let's get goin'." He slipped his bow over his head and deposited it in the back of the truck. Then, reached to open the driver's side door, but Merle stopped him.

"I'll drive and let you rest." The words were like a foreign language coming from his big brother's mouth. It wasn't often that Merle offered to do things. Daryl was dumbstruck, and had to be slapped on the back to get him to finally move.

"Hurry, before I change my mind, Darylina!" And just like that, he sounded more like Merle.

Daryl didn't need to be told twice, however. He walked around the front of the truck and hopped into the passenger's seat. A few minutes later, they were cruising down the highway in the direction he hoped Carol, Sophia and what was left of their group, were heading.

* * *

Sleeping in a real bed felt like heaven. Carol hadn't felt this safe in years. No longer was there an abusive husband constantly breathing down her neck, and now, that they were inside the thick walls of the CDC, they were safe from the creatures that hungered for their flesh. For now.

But just like any good thing that ever happened to Carol, something bad always followed. This case, the CDC losing power and reducing them all to ash sometime in the next several minutes.

It had all started when the power started to go out. Sophia had been in the middle of getting dressed when the lights went out, sending the room into darkness. When she had screamed, Carol had come running. All feelings of finally being safe quickly flew out the window.

It turned out that they were anything but safe in the CDC. Sure, it had offered them a temporary escape from the monsters lurking outside, but in only a few short hours, they were all going to blow up. Get vaporized. Die.

There would be no pain, Jenner had said, but Sophia didn't deserve to go out that way. Not now, when she was finally free of her father. But there wasn't much she could do. After all, she was only a widowed, meek housewife who was only alive because other people had protected her and her daughter.

Carol felt useless. What kind of mother couldn't even protect her own child? Now, Rick and Shane were arguing with the doctor, explaining that despite everything that had happened in the world, they all deserved to live. Carol's eyes misted and Sophia sobbed into her shoulder, as the heated exchange went on. She hoped the man would let them go.

The crying and yelling seemed to grow louder and louder, until the thick steel door finally slid open. Granting them an escape. No one hesitated. They took off for the exit...except for Andrea and Jacqui. Dale had seen that Andrea was staying behind and went to settle himself next to her. Three of the people Carol had been surviving with were choosing to end their lives there. Two of them had been good friends to her back in the camp.

Clutching Sophia's hand, she ran. She would miss them, dearly, but she had her daughter to think about. Sophia was  _not_ going to die today. Not like this.

However, when they made it to the front of the CDC, their escape came to a screeching halt. The glass was to think to break through. Not even a bullet could leave a mark. This looked to be the end.

But Carol remembered something. Letting go of Sophia's hand, she frantically rummaged through the large back at her hip. Ed was dead and buried. Now, the grenade she had stolen would have a purpose. She knew it would have been overkill to use it on her husband, but with the way he had continued to look at Sophia, she wouldn't have hesitated.

"Rick!" She called to the man and held up the explosive in a shaky hand. "Will this help?"  _God, please let it help._

* * *

Daryl and Merle had been on the road for only a few hours. Daryl was starting to believe that they had lost all traces of Carol's group. There was no way they could track vehicles, and there were no signs that they had gone this way on the highway and they were getting close to Atlanta, which was walker-infested and unsurvivable.

Just then, a loud noise sounded off in the distance and a large mushroom of smoke was reaching for the sky. Daryl sat up more in his seat, leaned his hands on the dashboard and got a better look at the scene.

"What the hell is that?" Merle asked, and nearly swerved the truck off the road.

"Carol..." Daryl whispered. Somehow, he just  _knew_  that Carol and her group had something to do with the explosion. Did all mean they were dead, now? Could they have been  _in_  that explosion? A sharp pain shot through his chest and an emotion he rarely felt seeped through his veins. Anguish.  _No._  Carol and her daughter couldn't have survived their camp being turn apart by walkers and finally being free of her bastard husband, to die a fiery death.

"What did you just say?" Merle turned to look at his younger brother. "And why do you look like someone killed your puppy?"

 _Shit_. If he didn't pull it together, Merle would get suspicious. "Uh. I'm fine. Just wonderin' what happened up there." The lie was brittle, but Merle didn't seem to care, anymore. He stopped the truck, put it in reverse and turned around.

"What are you doing?" Panic settled in his chest. That explosion was only a few miles away. The group-Carol- was only a few miles away. If they hadn't been in the explosion, they could still be in need of their help. They were  _so_  close.

"Gettin' the hell away from here. If we could hear that explosion, that means a shit ton of walkers could and they'll be headin' that way right about now. It'll be crawlin' with 'em by the time our asses get there. I ain't riskin' my ass to chase after a group of survivors to find out they been ripped apart."

Daryl winced, but understood. Thinking that he would ever see Carol and her daughter, again, had been stupid. Thinking that if they were to ever join up with the group, Carol would willingly talk to him had been stupid.

But as he watched the dissipating plume of smoke in the rearview mirror, he couldn't believe at how  _close_  they had been.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

_**Early September** _

It had only been four days since the Dixon brothers had seen the plume of smoke from the explosion coming from somewhere in Atlanta. The explosion that Daryl knew had something to do with Carol and her group.

In those four days, Merle and Daryl had switched off on driving duties and twice, they had to pull over and siphon gas from nearby abandoned vehicles. Daryl could still taste the gas for hours afterwards. Their stock of game had also dwindled to the point where Daryl had to resume his daily morning hunts before they would be on the move, again.

There was no destination in mind, or at least one that Daryl knew of, and there journey seemed endless. Pointless. If they weren't going to meet up with the group, then  _what_  were they doing. It almost made Daryl want to go back to their shack of a home, even if things would never be the same for him after seeing the quarry. But at least it would be familiar. Safe. Daryl knew that he would always wonder what happened to that group of people who had called the quarry their makeshift home. Most of all, though, he would always wonder what had become of  _her._  Carol.

Several times throughout the day, Merle would ask Daryl what was up because he would get lost in his thoughts and Merle didn't like it when his brother zoned out on him when he was talking. Even if he  _never_  stopped talking. After getting a sharp smack to the side of his head to jar him out of his thoughts, Daryl made sure to always stay alert and if not, made sure to have a good lie for every time Merle asked what was going on. So far, his brother had fallen for every lie Daryl had said, but he knew he had to be more careful.

Every morning, during his hunt, Daryl would take out Carol's letter and reread the words over and over. By now, he had them memorized and didn't need the paper, but he liked having something tangible to remind him of Carol, even if they weren't kind words. They were words to an abusive asshole, but Daryl found  _something_  in her words. Her letter said things Daryl wished he had said to his pa when the old man had been alive.

 _We're going to live to the fullest_ without _you..._

Even now, Daryl couldn't live his life to the fullest. The world had ended, there were no rules, no social norms, nothing, but there was still Merle. The only freedom he was able to get was when he escaped into the woods to go hunting. Otherwise, Merle watched his every move. Not out of suspicion. It  _was_  just the two of them. It was the reason why he never took out the letter around Merle or even put his hand in his pocket to finger the corner. His older brother would  _never_  understand why he had decided to keep the piece of paper, which was getting well worn from the constant handling of it. Hell, Merle would probably take it to rip it into a thousand pieces and Daryl couldn't bare  _not_  having that small piece of Carol.

What did  _that_  mean?

Daryl knew what that meant, but he didn't even want to think about it. Things like that only ever happened in the movies and if they did happen in real life, then it would most definitely  _never_  happen to a Dixon. Besides, there wasn't even a chance that he would ever see Carol, again, and if he did, she probably wouldn't even give him a second glance. She'd probably even tell Sophia to stay the hell away from him.

A squirrel chattered at him from a nearby branch, breaking Daryl out of his thoughts. The rodent didn't know that had been his death sentence until a bolt came hurtling at him. Daryl could almost feel sorry for the poor creature, but they had to eat. It was getting late. Daryl had spent more time wandering around in the woods then he had meant to and knew that Merle would be waiting form him back at their camp. His older brother would want to leave soon, even though they didn't have a destination in mind.

Just as he broke through the tree line where there truck was parked on the side of the road, the faint sound of a gunshot had Daryl pausing and looking over his shoulder into the woods. Merle must have heard it; too, because he stood up from the log he had been sitting at to coax a decent fire. The shot was miles away and with the echoes through the trees, they couldn't be certain in what direction it had come from. But it meant that someone was out there or someone  _had_ been out there.

The gunshot could only mean four things: someone was shooting an animal, a walker, someone else or...themselves.

Daryl hoped it had been aimed at a walker or animal. The human race was dwindling, becoming almost extinct, and it wouldn't do any good if people kept offing themselves or others.

"Well, it looks we like ain't the only ones out here," Merle said as he took his seat by the fire and chuckled, not the least bit concern at what the shot had meant. "I suppose that could be considered a relief, knowing we ain't the last two men left. Or at least we weren't."

"I suppose," Daryl mumbled and dumped his kill at Merle's feet.

The shot had got him thinking of Carol and her group, again. It wasn't like they were far from his mind, anyway. Could it be possible that they had survived that explosion and the wave of hungry walkers that had been sure to follow? Could that have been one of her group members firing off a shot?

Merle would never go for another wild goose chase, especially when their only point of reference had been the sound of a faint gunshot that could have come from  _anywhere_. But if Daryl were to drive after they had their meal, Merle would conk out in the passenger seat almost immediately, and he would be able to drive slower and keep a sharp eye on the tree lines.

"Is this all you got?" Merle's voice jarred Daryl from his planning, and just by the tone, he could tell that his older brother wasn't too happy.

With a look of irritation, he answered, "Yeah."

"This ain't goin' to feed the both of us. Hell, it probably ain't even goin' to feed one of us." Merle picked up the dead rodent by the tail and made a face. It wasn't very big, but Daryl could have cared less.

"You can have it, then. I'm not hungry." Another lie.

Merle narrowed his eyes in suspicion, which he seemed to be doing a lot lately. "What's the matter with you?" Since the world had ended, they never had an abundance of food, meaning they were  _always_  hungry.

"Found some berries in the woods," he said. Another lie. "Weren't that many on the bush, so I didn't think it was worth bringin' any back." He turned from his brother, hoping that would end the conversation, shrugged off his crossbow to place it in the bed of the truck and hopped up to sit on the tailgate.

"All right. If you're sure."

"I'm sure," Daryl said around gnawing in his thumb. His eyes were trained on the empty road behind them, wondering if, one day, they would ever find Carol, Sophia and the rest of their group or was it all just a far-fetched dream?

* * *

Sophia was gone.

Carol's baby girl was dead. Turned into a hungry, snarling walker whose only goal was to eat the flesh of the living.

The sight of her only child, her everything, her  _world_ , stumbling out of the barn with half of her shoulder missing...torn away by the vicious teeth of some  _monster_...The thought and visual of her Sophia running, running, running only to get caught by a-

Bile soared up Carol's throat and she vomited it on the grass beside her, not caring that she had nearly thrown up in her lap. Since the massacre of the barn, she had holed herself in Dale's RV and refused to come out, not even for her daughter's funeral. Instead, she had rooted through the drawers and cabinets until she found a sheet of paper and a pen, a purple pen- Sophia's favorite color- and Carol sat down and wrote her baby a long letter.

Now, three days later, Carol knelt beside the fresh pile of dirt that was Sophia's grave. Every day since the funeral, she would find herself here at some point of the day. On the second day, she made a little cross for her girl, to mark her final resting place. A new pile of dirt joined her daughter's. Dale.

The man had been ripped apart the night before and Rick had put him out of his misery. Things had happened fast. The old man wouldn't have been walking in the fields if he had been so angry at the group for their decision about Randall's fate. Carol still wasn't sure where she stood on that decision, especially in light of Sophia's death. Truthfully, they shouldn't have even bothered to ask for her opinion. Carol hadn't given one of them in years. Ed had made sure to beat them out of her early on in their marriage.

The decision didn't seem to matter, anymore. Randall was still alive, and would stay that way while he was still with them. It was Rick's way of honoring the memory of Dale. But Randall wasn't going to be under their care for long. In a few minutes, Shane and Rick were taking the young man somewhere far away and just  _dumping_  him out there. Carol knew it was a death sentence. The boy was injured. He would be an easy target for any walkers he happened across and he had no weapons to defend himself. She felt bad for the boy, felt bad that another young person was going to die young in this world, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even save her own daughter. Not from her father and not from walkers.

Just underneath the cross, there was a tiny pile of dirt with a rock anchored on top, underneath; safely tucked away was the letter she wrote to Sophia. Dale had a similar pile. The man had always been kind to her and Sophia, and Carol had wanted to write him a few kind, parting words. She just hoped no one would disturb them.

Slipping off the gold cross necklace from around her neck, Carol hung it from Sophia's wooden grave marker. Carol had worn it as a symbol of her faith, but now, she didn't think she had any faith left.

* * *

Daryl lost hope of ever finding Carol after the fourth day of endless driving after the gunshot. There had been absolutely no signs of anything living. Undead, yes. Plenty of them fuckers were stumbling around. He had even felled a few just to try to get rid of some of his frustration. It hadn't really helped. Now, Daryl resigned himself to knowing that it would be just him and Merle taking on the undead world until they died.

"This is about as good a place to stop as any." Merle broke the silence that had overcome the cab for the past several hours, and he pulled the truck to the side of the road. It looked like a perfect place to rest. The grass didn't slope away from the pavement to end in a ditch and the truck would be able to settle straight. About ten feet from the road was a dense line of trees, perfect to hunt...or get lost in.

The sun was almost completely past the horizon making it too dark to even think about hunting. Daryl rolled down the window to allow a cool breeze to blow in the cab. It was fall, now, and the nights grew cold. Despite that, Daryl wanted to take one of the blankets behind his seat and make a spot in the bed of the truck for the night, but something in his gut told him that it might not be a good idea. So, he leaned his seat back, put his legs up on the dashboard and closed his eyes.

Beside him, Merle mumbled, "I hate sleepin' on the damn driver's side." The sound of something being hit made Daryl open one eye. "The damn steering wheel gets in my fuckin' way." However, Merle didn't make Daryl switch with him, so he went back to sleep.

Daryl's night was plagued with nightmares. In one, Sophia had come stumbling out of a barn, eyes yellow and lifeless. A pitiful growl escaped her throat and she stumbled forward. The girl was a walker. In that same dream, Carol had rushed towards her walker daughter and wrapped her arms around the girl, only to get bit on the shoulder. Daryl struggled to wake himself up, not wanting to hear Carol's pained-filled screams and the blood drenching her shirt, but he couldn't.

The nightmare ended, however, when a rain of bullets fell on the mother-daughter pair and they fell, bloodied, to the earth. Dead.

Daryl was jerked awake, then, surprised that the sound of gunshots had not only been in his dream. They were going off somewhere in the distance and they were louder than the one they had heard before. Glancing at Merle, he saw that, though, that they hadn't been loud enough to wake up his older brother. His heart sank. He couldn't wake up Merle to chase after some gunshots he had only heard. Maybe...maybe tomorrow, there would be another sign of someone being out there.

Somehow, Daryl went back to sleep. But it had only seemed like he had closed his eyes for five minutes when a hand was slammed over his mouth. Daryl jerked away, ready to beat the shit out of his brother, but he was met with Merle's wide eyes. They were filled with...fear? Daryl looked past his head and gasped. Dozens of walkers surrounded their truck, some even slid across the window, leaving bloody prints on the glass. Luckily, it was too dark for them to see Daryl and Merle in the truck. There was too many of them for the brothers to take on and they weren't even sure if their truck could plow through all of them.

They were stuck.

* * *

Luckily, the herd of walkers cleared out before the sun started to peek over the horizon. They would have been easily spotted if there had been a few more. Merle didn't waste anytime, once the last walker disappeared from view, he started up the truck and took off. Daryl had to clutch the side of his chair.

"Where the fuck did they all come from?" Merle's eyes were focused on the road.

"Heard a bunch of gunshots last night," Daryl said and nearly went careening through the windshield when Merle slammed on the brakes.

"What?" He roared. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

Daryl shrugged. "You didn't seem interested in it the last time." The words sounded pathetic and he winced.

"The last time there was only  _one_ , this time there was a bunch. It's just like the damn explosion. Them fuckers probably heard the noise and came straight to it and we got stuck in the damn middle!"

Daryl felt like he should apologize for keeping the information to himself, but the words refused to leave his mouth. Instead, he opened the door, grabbed his crossbow and told Merle that he was going to take a piss.

He returned when the sun was higher in the sky and a rabbit in his hand. Sort of like a peace offering. Merle looked at the damn animal and smirked before turning on the truck.

"I want to get more space between us and that herd," he said to explain his actions and Daryl didn't protest. He wanted to get as far away from them as he could. Never in his life had he seen something so terrifying.

Together, they drove in silence...until they came across the car.

Merle had spotted it first and parked alongside it. They had been going slow through the snarl of other vehicles that clogged up parts of the road. There was nothing special about the car, except the fact that there were bottles of Gatorade, water, peanut butter and other snacks piled on the hood, like they were waiting for someone. They still had to cook up the rabbit, but it was clear that Merle was getting tired of the small game Daryl continued to bring back to camp.

Merle's fingers were in the peanut butter before Daryl was even out of the truck. Merle didn't pay attention to his younger brother, who rolled his eyes, and seemed focused on the windshield of the car. "Huh," he said. "I wonder who Sophia is."

Daryl froze in place, one hand reaching into the bed of the truck for his crossbow and the other reaching into his pocket to make sure Carol's letter was still safely there.

"Uh, what was that?" Daryl tried hard to keep his tone nonchalant as he round the front of the truck, not wanting Merle to see how the name affected him.

Merle pointed to the windshield, fingers smudged with peanut butter. "Come and read this." Daryl walked up to where Merle sat and took a look at the glass.

_Sophia, stay here. We will come back every day._

Fuck. What did that mean? Had Sophia gone missing? And was it even the same Sophia?

Something in his gut twisted and told him that the Sophia from the quarry and the one mentioned in the message were the same. The girl was no more than thirteen years old; she couldn't be out there on her own. She wouldn't be able to...survive. Maybe he could look for her. He could tell Merle he was going hunting...again, but would keep an eye out for the blonde girl, instead.

"Hm. Wonder if the bitch got herself lost," Merle chuckled, shoving more peanut butter in his mouth. "Probably ain't nothin' left of her, now."

Daryl bristled and barely controlled the urge to punch his brother in the face. Merle didn't know that he was talking about a little girl, but his uncaring attitude for another human being was a little unsettling. "What if it's a kid?"

Something like guilt flickered in Merle's eyes and his voice grew soft. "Then, there ain't no way she made it, then." Daryl had never heard Merle's voice grow soft like that, and he felt guilty for what he had thought of his brother only moments before. Merle  _did_  have a heart.

"We could look for her," Daryl suggested, eagerly. Desperately. "This doesn't look old. She could still be out there."  _And Carol could be nearby._

"Naw." Merle hopped off the hood. "If she's out there still, she's probably been bit by a walker already."

 _The gunshot_...Could it be? Daryl's stomach twisted, again, and this time he felt like he was about to vomit.

Swallowing down the bile threatening to shoot up his throat, Daryl clutched his fists and tried hard to conceal his anger. "So, what do you want to do, then? Eat the food left for a little girl?"

"Look, man, we don't know if its even for a little girl, and it's every man for himself, now. If you didn't get the damn memo, little brother." Merle squared off with him. Almost two months together was taking its toll. They were both itching for a fight. But now wasn't the right time to throw punches. Not when noise could attract any walkers that may still be around from the herd.

"Fuck you, I'm goin' huntin'," Daryl growled. "You can have the damn rabbit." He needed to cool off, to get away from watching his brother take the supplies meant for Sophia, and the woods were his only sanctuary.

"What the hell is your problem?" Merle yelled at his back as he walked away, towards the slope of grass off the highway and the woods. Daryl ignored him and slipped into the quiet of the trees.

Instead of backtracking, Daryl decided to go farther down the road. Behind him was the herd, in front of him...well, he didn't know, yet. Moving forward, Daryl was stepping into the unknown.

After a few minutes of walking, he found himself in a clearing. The sun was to his right, but up ahead he could see the edges of a dirt road, to where it lead, he couldn't tell. So, he walked up to it. Looking down one side, Daryl could barely make out the highway and turning to look down at the other end; he thought he could see the roof of a house...and a little past the house, a thin plume of smoke was reaching towards the sky.

Something told Daryl that he needed to head that way, but he knew he couldn't just leave Merle behind. Especially if that house was inhabited. So, instead of heading towards the house, Daryl followed the road back to the highway. On the way there, he passed a mailbox.

It read  _Greene_.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Merle was lounging on the hood of the trunk when Daryl returned, slightly out of breath from the quick pace he had sent once he had spotted the farm house. An empty container of peanut butter rested by Merle's hip and he was currently nursing an orange Gatorade, a faint orange ring outlined his mouth. Daryl had to try hard not to focus on the temporary moustache and laugh.

"So, you said you found what out there?" He asked before letting out a loud burp that Daryl was certain the herd, that had passed them the night before, could hear.

"About a mile from here, there's a farm house. A pretty decent-sized one, too." Well, from where he had stood, it looked to be decent-sized.

"Did you see any people?"

"No."

"Walkers?"

"Nothin'. Then, again, I didn't get a close look from where I was."

Daryl shifted a bit in place, causing his crossbow to bump his back as he moved. Merle leaned back on his elbows on the hood and seemed to be thinking over the information Daryl had just told him. Daryl knew that the chance of Carol's group being at the farmhouse was slim, but they  _had_  to look. He needed to know if Sophia had been found and that Carol was still all right. Still alive.

"But if there aren't any people there, I bet there's some things we could scavenge from a place like that." Daryl added, hoping that his words would help sway his brother in giving the farmhouse a quick visit.

"I'm just worried that if there are people there, they'll think we've come to kill them or somethin' and they'll shoot us before we can even explain ourselves."

Daryl knew that was a valid worry. This world brought out the worst in people and there were very few that one could trust. Luckily, Daryl only had Merle to worry about and he knew his brother would never betray him. Plus, it didn't help that they were a rough-looking pair. Always had been. Even before the world had ended, people would get uneasy whenever the Dixon brothers showed up.

"Then, we'll just have to approach with caution and not with our weapons in plain sight," Daryl suggested, knowing that was a bit risky, too. There could be a herd of walkers that went through and they couldn't waste anytime scrambling to grab their weapons. However, if it meant Merle would check the place out, then Daryl would deal with it.

Merle mulled it over a bit before hopping off the hood and sending the empty peanut butter container scattering along the road. "All right," he said. "Let's check it out. Doubt it will be any worse than this endless drive we've been goin' on."

Daryl wasn't sure if there was anything worse than that. Well. Besides death.

Several minutes later, Daryl sat in the driver's seat as they drove down the long dirt road that led to the farmhouse. According to the mailbox, the Greene family had lived there...or still did. Driving closer, the plum of smoke Daryl had seen earlier was now, only wisps and he could see that it was coming from the remains of what had once been a barn. The fire had been recent. Maybe from the night before? Next to the destroyed barn, stood a half-burnt RV. His gut twisted when he recognized the dark stain splashed across the large windshield.

Blood.

"I'm not likin' the looks of this place, Daryl."

Merle had spotted the bloody RV at the same time as Daryl. A hint of fear flashed through the older Dixon's eyes before it was quickly snuffed out.

It was made clear that no living person was at the farmhouse the moment the pulled up to the front porch. No one came running out of the door, guns drawn. There wasn't even a walker to come stumbling out to greet them. However, there were hundreds of footprints everywhere. A campsite a distance from the house had been completely trampled. Daryl saw a pole from one of the tents sticking up as the ruined canvas fluttered behind it.

Daryl stepped out of the truck and felt sick at the sight of utter destruction around him. The house was still intact, but anything around it had been destroyed beyond recognition. A few corpses of fallen walkers were scattered close to the front porch with bullet holes in their skulls. At least whoever had been there were able to kill a few before they were completely overrun. The herd they had encountered earlier must have come from here and the gunshots he heard, definitely did.

Merle hopped out of the truck with his gun in hand and looked around. "Fuck. Deja vu," he muttered. Daryl hadn't been the only one reminded of the scene that had happened across at the quarry. How many people had died this time? Had all of them? Daryl's gut twisted painfully.

"Yeah," Daryl agreed and grabbed his crossbow, not wanting to be taken of guard from any stray walkers that still might have been hanging around.

"Looks like whoever was here, left in a hurry," Merle observed. "Probably didn't have time to grab their supplies." He kicked a piece of wood that looked like it had belonged to the porch railing somewhere. "I'll check the house. Why don't you see if there is anything salvageable in that camp?"

Daryl didn't say anything to acknowledge that he had heard his brother, but started to walk over there, instead. It had been the last place he wanted to look. It looked like a graveyard. The tents were shredded with bloodied, undead hands, tables were flipped on their sides and the remains of a cooking fire had been stamped out. There was nothing of use to them here and if there, by some miracles, was, it was damaged beyond repair.

Had this camp belonged to Carol's group? Were there any of them left, now? Had Carol made it off the farm? Sophia? Glenn? Carl? Andrea? They weren't just names to him, anymore. They were people. People he hoped would be able to outlive this terrible world.

Looking around from where he stood in the middle of the ruined camp, Daryl wanted to see if he could spot a graveyard of some sort. He needed to know who had died and who still lived of this grave. He wondered if Carol would write the dead letters here, too.

In the distance, something caught his eye. A pile of stones, like some sort of memorial. Next to the stone piles, a row of freshly dug mounds of dirt sat. Daryl knew them, anywhere. Graves. Just as he was in the quarry, Daryl was drawn to them. He needed to know who hadn't made it, who had breathed their last on his farm and if Carol had written more words for him.

Several of the graves were marked with crosses made from wood. The grave at the end of the row had a cross like some of the others, but a gold chain hung from it. Daryl's gut twisted at the sight and decided to leave that one for last.

None of the markers had names, which hadn't helped with Daryl's need to know who were still among the living. His anxiety grew. But when he came to the second to last grave, a small mound of dirt rested on top of the larger mound and something was being weighted down by a rock.

A piece of paper.

A letter!

Daryl just barely stopped himself from lunging at the grave to get to the piece of paper. It was one of Carol's letters, which meant she was still alive. Unless...the last grave was hers. He didn't want to think about that and made sure to put his back to the last grave as he unfolded the letter to read what it said.

The familiar sight of Carol's handwriting had Daryl stuttering out a relieved breath, even though the words weren't anything to be relieved about. After all, they were to a dead person that Carol had cared about.

_Dear Dale,_

_It saddens me that I am writing this letter to you since you are no longer here with us. Rick still needs you._ We _still need you. But at least we can take comfort in knowing that you are happy, now. You are with your wife and you are with...Sophia. I know you will take care of her and let her know that everything is okay now and that her mama will always love her. Tak-_

The letter fluttered to the ground, only half-read. Daryl felt like someone had ripped his heart from his chest.  _No._  The words he had just read couldn't be right. He must have read them wrong. Sophia wasn't dead. Sophia was somewhere safe with her mother. There was no way the grave behind him could be that little girls'.

No.

_No!_

Daryl sat there, for what seemed like hours. He didn't move when his legs began to cramp or move to finish reading Dale's letter. Tears stung his eyes, even though they were unexpected. Unwelcomed. Sophia hadn't been  _anything_  to him. So, why should he even care about her being dead? Dixon's  _didn't_  cry and they especially didn't cry over little girls he had never met.

Sophia was just a girl.

Just another dead girl.

_Sophia,_ _stay_ _here. We will come back every day._

How long had she been out in the woods with those monsters? How long had she run for life before everything ended? Daryl knew she had died while lost. He felt it in his gut. Sophia died alone, and Carol had been greeted with the empty, snarling and hungry shell of what had once been her precious daughter.

Daryl was reminded of the gentle way Sophia had cleaned the blood from her mother's split lip. There had been so much love in that gesture and Carol's eye had radiated with the love she felt for her daughter, as well. That little girl didn't deserve to die and Carol didn't deserve to lose the only thing she had left in this cruel world.

A light breeze caused Dale's letter to flutter and Daryl grabbed it before the wind could take it from him. Folding it up, he placed it in the same pocket as Ed's letter. Then, with a deep breath, Daryl prepared himself. The grave behind him was Sophia's. That little girl was lying to rest under the pile of dirt.

Bile shot up his throat. She had been such a little thing...

The gold cross dangling from the grave maker made slight pinging sounds as the wind moved it against the wood. Daryl tried to ignore the sound, knowing that it would drive him mad. The necklace had been Carol's. She had been wearing it the day he saw her at the quarry. It had glittered against her collarbone. Sophia had rubbed it briefly between her thumb and forefinger before cleaning off her mother's face.

Daryl crawled over the grave on his knees and took the letter from the small pile close to the marker. He prepared himself to read the words of a grieving mother to her dead child. His hands shook as he unfolded the paper to reveal purple written words. Daryl imagined that Carol must have cried as she wrote down the words. Some of the writing went from neat cursive to slightly sloppy cursive, which told Daryl of the emotion Carol had been feeling. He couldn't imagine losing someone of his own flesh and blood.

Except for his daddy. Daryl was glad that the bastard was dead. And though Merle irritated him to no end most days, he didn't know how he would deal if his brother were to die.

He couldn't imagine he grief Carol must have been going through at the moment.

_If she's still alive..._

Daryl didn't even want to think about that, now. Especially since little Sophia was dead.

Slowly, finally, Daryl begun to read.

 _My dear Sophia,_  the letter started.  _I wish I could say that I'm glad you're in a better place, now. But I'm not. I want you here. With me. I want my baby girl back. I want my ray of_ _sunshine_ _in this bleak world back. I want to hear you laugh, see your smile and stroke my fingers through your hair, again._ _But I can't. No matter how much I want these things, you're still gone. I'll never be able to see your beautiful face, again._  The words on the page begun to get messy and some of the ink had even run from where Carol's tears must have fallen on the page.

Daryl felt tears of his own scald his eyes and he didn't even try to blink them away. Not this time.

_I'm so sorry that I failed you, sweetheart. I wish I could have given you the life you deserved. One without your father. One where we would have been happy and together. But life is cruel, especially now. You were ripped from me way too soon. It should have been me. My Sophia, you had so much to offer. So much more than me. You had so much life. So much hope that things were going to be better now that we were free from Ed._

_I miss you. I love you so much. I hate this world. But I will continue to live. For you. I will learn to fight, to protect and I will_ live. _You will always be in my thoughts. You will always be the reason I keep going and keep breathing. I hope one day, you will be proud of me, Sophia. And just know, I was_ always _proud of you. My baby girl._

_I love you. So much._

_Mommy_ _._

Daryl wanted to crumple up the letter and throw it somewhere far from him. The words cut him deep and tears continued to sting his eyes. The little blonde girl from the quarry was really gone, her young life had been snuffed out too soon.

And Daryl felt her loss just as much as Carol.

* * *

Minutes passed. Or hours. Days could have passed and Daryl was sure he would have had no idea. He kneeled, like a statue, at Sophia's grave with Carol's tear-stained letter in his hand. The sound of approaching boots had Daryl quickly shoving the letter into his pocket, the opposite one of Dale and Ed's. The footsteps were human as they weren't the shuffling gait of a walker and he knew it could only be one person.

"Well, did you find anythin' useful out here, baby brother?"

The last person he wanted to talk with was Merle. He didn't want to talk with anyone. He wanted to be left alone to grieve in peace. But it wasn't to be. Quickly, Daryl blinked back the moisture in his eyes and stood up, his back to his brother.

"Nothin' here but a bunch of graves."

"If this is the same people you saw at the quarry, then there can't be very many of them left."

_Dale was gone. And Sophia..._

Daryl didn't say anything and looked once more at the piles of freshly dug dirt. Only two of them had letters, which meant Carol had only known two of them.

"I found a bunch of shit in the house. Things were a little trampled from the biters, but they're still useful. I already loaded it all in the truck." He paused and Daryl turned to see he was looking at something near the graves. "What's that?"

Daryl turned, knowing what Merle was pointing at, but didn't want to believe it. He was pointing at Carol's gold necklace on Sophia's grave,

"Grab it," he said. "Could be useful down the road."

Daryl didn't want to take it. Carol had placed it there for her daughter and he had no right to take it. It was bad enough that he took her letters and poured over each word as often as he could.

"We ain't goin' to need it, Merle. Just like we ain't goin to need that money you took back at our place." His voice was hoarse from misuse or tears, Daryl didn't know. Or care.

"What's up your ass?" Merle scowled. He wasn't used to Daryl defying him. "Fine. If you aren't goin' to grab it, then I will."

Before Daryl could move to stop his older brother, Merle stepped around Daryl and plucked the necklace from the wooden cross. He stood there, triumphantly holding up the piece of jewelry and smiled, smugly. As he moved closer to Daryl, his boots scoffed the fresh dirt of Sophia's grave, defiling it, and Daryl saw red.

In the next second, Merle was on the ground and Daryl was on top of him. One of his punches landed on Merle's mouth and his lip split, blood sprayed. The fight didn't last long because Daryl soon found himself on his back with Merle's forearm shoved on his throat. He struggled for breath, unable to speak and weakly pushed against his brother's chest.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Merle seethed, words slurred because of his swollen lip. Daryl gasped for air when Merle put more pressure on his neck. But even if he could answer his brother, Daryl would have remained silent.

Finally, Merle removed his arm and Daryl turned to his side, gulping in lungfuls of much needed air.

"I think all the days on the road are gettin' to you, little brother. You've been actin' strange lately. Why don't we stay here for a bit, then?" Oddly, Merle no longer seemed angry. Instead, he looked concerned, which wasn't something he was very often.

"No," Daryl bit out as forcefully as he could while still trying to catch his breath.

There was no way he was going to stay in the same place Sophia had been put down and where Carol had grieved for her dead daughter. No. He wanted to get as far from this graveyard as he could. He  _needed_  to find Carol to make sure she stayed alive. If not for him, but for Sophia.

"Let's just go," he said and stood. "Like you said earlier, I don't like the feel of this place, either."

"You sure?" Merle gave him an odd look, not quite convinced that there was nothing wrong with his younger brother.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Let's get the fuck out of here."

"You got it."

Merle slapped him on the back, slipped the gold necklace into his pocket, much to Daryl's disdain, and began walking in the direction of the truck. Daryl watched him for a few minutes, before turning to Sophia's grave. Placing a hand on the cross, Daryl bowed his head.

"I'm so sorry, Sophia."


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

_**Mid October- A Month Later** _

Merle was worried about Daryl.

It wasn't often that he thought that because he knew Daryl was capable of protecting himself, but it had been a month since they came across the farmhouse with the burned down barn and Daryl would go days without saying a word. Normally, he was taciturn, but not like this. Sometimes, Merle would even catch him just staring off somewhere; one hand always patted something in his pocket. Daryl was also spending more and more time out in the woods. Some days, he would come back with a few kills and others, nothing. Not even a scrawny squirrel. Merle gave him shit for it, just so that Daryl would react somehow, but he rarely did, anymore. That was what Merle worried about the most.

He wanted to ask what was wrong with his little brother. The words were never far from his tongue, but he knew he probably would not get an answer. There was something he knew for sure, though. Something had happened to Daryl at that farmhouse, he didn't know what and when or even how since it had just been them two at the time, but it had done something to Daryl. Something Merle didn't like. Not one bit. At the moment, though, there was nothing he could do but wait it out and hope that Daryl would go back to normal, soon.

Outside, the weather was growing cooler. Fall was almost over and turning into winter. With every abandoned vehicle or house they came across on their trip going nowhere, Merle searched for warmer clothes and coats. When winter finally came, he wanted to be prepared and not freeze his ass off. However, Daryl still seemed content to wearing just his cut-off shirts.

"Come winter, your ass if goin' to freeze off, baby brother."

Merle had just found a nice leather jacket, in one of the house they had just looted that would actually fit his broad shoulders. It reminded him a bit of the jacket Daryl had with his things, the one that had angel wings sewn on the back. Merle used to have one just like it, but had lost track of it years, ago. If he could fit the thing, he would have stolen it from Daryl awhile ago.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders and continued to clean his bow in the bed of the truck. "It ain't that cold, yet. 'Sides, I got a jacket and that's good enough for me."

The whole time he spoke, Daryl didn't look up once. Merle could say it was because he was focused on doing a good job cleaning his weapon, but his brother rarely made eye contact with him nowadays, not that he did much before, but it was still unsettling.

With a shake of his head, Merle bent down to pick up the box of supplies he had retrieved from the rundown house he had just looted and threw it in the back of the truck, behind Daryl. The owner of the house had been inside. Dead and walking. Merle had gladly taken him out of his misery with a knife to the back of his skull. Meanwhile, Daryl stood guard out front. Merle had gathered anything he found that could be useful, which hadn't been much. A few canned goods, some bottled water, and a few thin, ratty blankets that really wouldn't do any good when it turned cold, but he had taken them, anyway.

"We should probably start lookin' for a place to stay for the winter," Merle said, casually. "Game is goin' to be gettin' scarce pretty soon and this truck ain't a good place to stay...or wait out winter."

Merle felt like he had been talking to himself for all of the response Daryl had given him, which had only been a slight nod of the head.

"So, I say the next decent house we come across, we call it our new home. Temporarily."

Daryl shrugged, again, eyes still not the leaving the work his hands were doing on his bow. "Sounds good to me."

Merle's mouth set in a hard, firm line and he stopped himself from asking what the hell Daryl's problem was, but just barely. If Daryl was acting this way because he was angry at him, then he would have understood the silence. Thought, at the farmhouse, Daryl had attacked him before he could take that gold necklace from the marker. Merle still hadn't understood why. But Daryl wasn't acting like he was angry at his brother. That incident had lasted for only a few moments and Daryl had gone back to normal. Or so Merle thought.

Now, he noticed that their seemed to be an air of sadness around Daryl, one that hadn't been there before the farmhouse. It all couldn't be because he took damn necklace. Could it? Fuck, if he could, then he'd return the damn thing, but he had no idea where they were and where that farmhouse was, so for now, that necklace would remain in his pocket. Maybe over time Daryl would forget that he had it.

"All right. I got everythin' out of the house. Do you want to stay here for the night or camp out somewhere else?" Merle normally didn't ask for Daryl's opinion on things and just did what he wanted, but hearing his brother's voice was scare. So, he did it just to hear Daryl talk.

"Did you kill the fucker inside?" Daryl used one of his bolts and pointed to the still open door.

"Yeah," Merle answered.

"Is he still in there?"

Merle's brow furrowed. "Yeah."

"Then, hell no. Let's go somewhere else and make camp." He hopped off the truck bed, deeming his crossbow clean enough, and walked to the passenger's side of the truck. Once he climbed inside, he placed his precious weapon behind the seats, where it was within easy reaching distance.

Merle wanted to smile, even if there really wasn't a valid reason to nowadays with the dead still walking and eating people, but this was the most Daryl had spoken to him in a long time. Maybe this stupid melancholy shit was finally going away. It was really getting old.

He hopped into his seat, started the truck and they were off.

* * *

Daryl felt numb, and it was all because of some little girl's death. A little girl he hadn't even met properly.

_But...you wanted to._

He couldn't deny that. He had wanted to meet Sophia, had wanted to find her in the woods and bring her back to her mama.  _Carol_. Daryl couldn't imagine the pain she must be going through now that her daughter was dead and gone. The pain must have been unimaginable to have your daughter by your side one moment, and then, have her gone the next. Sometimes, Daryl wished he could be there for her. But what did he know about comforting someone? Absolutely nothing. Hell, he would have probably made everything worse.

Gnawing on his thumb, he looked out the window and tried to ignore the concerned looks Merle kept giving him. Concerned didn't look good on Merle and Daryl was surprised that he was actually making his older brother worry so much. He didn't think he was doing anything that was worrisome. Things just weren't interesting him much, anymore, like talking and sometimes, hunting. Going off into the woods, though, were the only times he was allowed to take out Carol's letters and get lost in her words.

Sophia's letter had only been read once after he found it on her grave. It had been the day after they left the farmhouse, and Daryl had been in the woods, hunting like he usually was, and he had taken out the letter to reread it. This time, he let the tears fall, though it didn't make him feel any better that the little girl was gone. It just wasn't fair! Sophia had her whole life ahead of her and she should have been able to live it.

Daryl could have found her. He knew he could have. His granddad had taught him to track, and it was the one thing he did well. It was why he was successful when he hunted. But he hadn't been there to search for Sophia and Carol and her group didn't even know he existed.

After reading the letter, Daryl made sure to stay in the woods long enough so that when he returned to camp, his eyes would not be red and swollen. Merle would never understand why he had been crying, especially since he hadn't cried since he was a little boy. He knew Merle would think losing a young child to death was sad, but he wouldn't have thought it was something to cry over. Especially if they hadn't even known the kid.

"Hey. Daryl," Merle spoke and Daryl tried not to wince. He was getting a little sick of all the attempts Merle was making to get him to speak. Couldn't he see that Daryl just wanted to be left alone?

"What?" Taking his gaze from the window, Daryl looked at his older brother, who had one hand on the wheel and the other hanging out the window. It was getting cooler outside, but it was still stifling in the truck due to the air-conditioning not working properly.

"Is everythin' okay? You've been actin' really weird lately."

Daryl had been waiting for that question for a month, now. Every time Merle failed to ask it, he breathed a little easier. He never planned on telling Merle the truth, of course. But on most days, Merle could read him like a book and would know right away if Daryl was lying. However, lately, Merle seemed to be lost when it came to reading his younger brother. No longer could he figure out Daryl and it was because Daryl was trying hard to shut everything out. He knew he couldn't completely shut Merle out, since he was the only person he had left in this world.

Carol was never far from his mind. Daryl no longer delusioned himself into thinking they would ever meet. It had been a long shot to find them after the quarry, and was now, an even longer one for that he hadn't come across anything that told him they were even going the same direction as Carol's group. Also, whenever Carol was on his mind, Sophia was not far, either. But there no longer was an image of the blonde girl wiping blood from her mother's lip whenever he thought of her. Instead, the image of Sophia's cold, newly dug grave at the farmhouse came to mind. Sophia's final resting place, which should have still had Carol's gold cross hanging from the marker.

That cross was now in Merle's pocket.

"Yeah. Everythin' is fine." Daryl gave him his standard answer, which he knew irritated his brother to no end.

"You sure? I mean, did somethin' happen at that farmhouse? Because you started actin' strange once we left that place." Instead of grunting and giving up, Merle pressed on, waiting more than just his standard answers this time.

Daryl stilled for a second, partly impressed and partly irritated that Merle had noticed the exact time Daryl's behavior had changed. "Nothin' happened. Just kind of bummed that we haven't run into other people, yet." The lie came easily, surprisingly, since he hadn't known what to say a few seconds before. "Talkin' to your ass is gettin' old." He made sure to throw a smirk Merle's way, even though he wasn't feeling up to teasing, but knew it would get Merle off his back for a little bit. Or so he hoped.

"Shut up, man. You weren't sayin' that shit back at the old house," Merle said grinning and looking satisfied. "Matter of fact, I didn't hear you say anythin' about people until you came across that group in the quarry." He turned narrowed eyes to Daryl, who began to feel uneasy.

"Some chick caught your eye, didn't she?" Merle hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand and smiled widely. "It was one of the blonde ones you told me about, right? Damn, baby brother, is that why you wanted us to go all the way to fuckin' Atlanta?" Merle slapped Daryl hard on the shoulder and laughed. "Never thought I would see the day my baby brother would start chasin' after a piece of tail."

Carol wasn't just a piece of tail to him, she was much more to him than that even though they hadn't met, and she definitely wasn't a blonde, which was all right with him. But he wasn't going to tell Merle any of that. Let him think what he wanted, as long as he didn't know the truth.

Daryl shrugged, hoping that it would be enough of an answer to Merle. It seemed that it was and Merle returned to driving while chuckling to himself.

"She must be real fine for you to have gone through all that trouble," he said and shook his head, the smile never leaving his face. " _Real_  fine, indeed."

If Merle were to meet Carol, he wouldn't think she  _fine_. Right away, Daryl had known that she wasn't the kind of woman Merle would ever go after, especially since she had a daughter...or did have a daughter. But Daryl didn't care. Carol wasn't meant for Merle. She was meant for...

No. He couldn't think like that. Not anymore. Not when he knew he would never see her, again.

That night, they camped out on the side of the highway. To their backs was a thick patch of woods and to their front was the never ending highway they had been driving on for a month. Of course, they didn't drive it every day, since gas was a problem. Sometimes they would camp out for a few days or stay in a house for a week or more. They were still in Georgia, Daryl knew. He didn't think he'd ever leave the state.

Daryl sat on the side of the truck. He made sure to keep an eye on the camp and the area surrounding them. Merle was in the lone tent, sleeping. In a few hours, Daryl would wake him up for his turn on watch, and then, he would get some sleep of his own. Daryl didn't mind sleeping in a tent, but the downside was that they never got a full night's sleep, unless it rained and they had to cram back in the truck. Since it was just the two of them, one of them had to keep watch at all times. Especially since they knew that there were herds of walkers out there that could surprise them at any moment.

The next morning, Daryl woke up, took down their tent and smothered the small fire they had made. Merle handed him a can of half-eaten beans and Daryl wrinkled his nose, but ate the food. Once everything was packed, Merle climbed in the passenger's side and Daryl got behind the meal. As he drove, Merle would nap.

Before he fell asleep in his seat, Merle lifted his head. "Keep an eye out for a place to stay. It has to be good enough for us to stay for a few months. I ain't sleepin' in a tent when it starts to get cold and I'm tired of sleepin' in shifts."

"All right," Daryl agreed. Truthfully, he was sick of sleeping in shifts, as well, and it would be nice to be able to sleep on a real bed. Briefly, he couldn't help but wonder if Carol's group was doing the same thing or if they would be wondering Georgia throughout the winter, freezing.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

_**February** _

Carol didn't know how she survived all those months after the farm. They had constantly been on the run, not staying anywhere for a few days at a time, afraid that a herd would catch up with them, they were always cold and always hungry. Carol knew she had been the weakest link, besides Lori, who was pregnant and couldn't help it and Beth, who had been sheltered all her life, and it was a miracle that she had survived this long. Maybe because she reminded herself every day to fight to survive, if not for herself, but for her daughter. Just because Sophia was gone, didn't mean Carol would give up living, even if the little girl had been her only thing worth living for at the time.

Now, it was for Lori, who desperately needed a friend in Carol, and Carl, who seemed so angry some days, and for the little baby growing in Lori's stomach.

And for Andrea, who had sacrificed herself to save her.

Once they settled someplace that would keep them warm in the winter and they had enough supplies at the moment to get by, Carol made T-Dog and Rick help her learn to shoot and defend herself. If only Andrea had been there, she would have been the perfect teacher...

Carol learned how to shoot quickly. Though she would never be a sharpshooter, she could hold her own. She could protect these people she considered family. If only she had learned how to shoot earlier, before Sophia had run off the highway. She could have been the one to run after her daughter, she could have protected her from the monsters that had chased her. But...it was no use thinking of those things, now. The past was the past, and there was no way Sophia could be saved. At least she was in a better place, now, and hopefully smiling proudly down at her mother.

"Carol!"

The sound of her name jarred her from her thoughts and she looked down from her post on top of T-Dog's truck. She had been keeping watch as Lori and Beth made supper and huddled around the fire for warmth, while someof the men had gone out for supplies. Maggie was on the other end of camp with her own rifle.

It was Glenn who had called her name, his face was red and he was out of breath. Before he spoke, she knew the reason why he had come running.

"Herd."

Without a moment's hesitation, Carol hopped down from the truck and ran to help collect all of their supplies to be put in the back of the truck. T-Dog and Glenn had gone out to try to hunt for some meat and must have seen the herd.

"What about Rick?" Lori looked panicked as Carol tried to usher her to the car.

"And Daddy?" Beth sounded near hysterics. The girl hadn't fully recovered from the loss of her home, boyfriend and woman she considered a mother all in one horrible night.

Earlier, Hershel and Rick had taken one of their three vehicles and gone off searching for more supplies, but had yet to return.

"We can't sit here and wait for them," Carol said. "Glenn and T-Dog spotted a herd coming in this direction. Hopefully, they'll spot it and we'll meet up somewhere." Carol was surprised that she wasn't panicking as she helped Lori into the passenger's seat of the car. Walkers terrified her, they had taken her daughter, but now a whole herd of them were coming and she was calm.

"You all set?" She asked Lori, who nodded, eyes set on the rearview mirror hoping to get a glimpse of her husband down the road.

Carl slid into the seat behind Lori, still pouting about being left behind, instead of going with his father to search for supplies.

Beth, however, refused to get in the vehicle and instead, scrambled on top of the car so that she could get a better view of down the road, where her father and Rick had gone down.

"Beth! Get down!" Maggie practically screamed, just as walkers started to crash through the tree line. Glenn was already in the tuck, looking anxiously back at his girlfriend and her sister.

"But, Daddy!" Beth was crying as she grabbed her sister's hands and climbed down from the top of the car.

"He'll be fine. He's with Rick. Now, let's go." Together, they ran to the truck and climbed in.

T-Dog had gotten into the driver's seat of the car as Carol had been getting Lori inside, so Carol quickly ran around the car and got into the seat behind him. In a matter of seconds, they were off, screeching down the road as hundreds more walkers appeared through the trees.

Carol wondered if it was the same herd that had cut them off a few weeks before, or if it was a different one. She hoped it was the same. She didn't want to think about two herds that size stumbling around the area.

An hour later, they all breathed easier when they realized they had outrun the herd...for now. Glenn pulled into a driveway, partially hidden by overgrown bushes and grass. It led to a shoddy looking one story house. It looked decent enough to be used as a temporary shelter, though.

When the two vehicles stopped in front of the house, Carol poked her head between the two front seats and saw that there were four walkers lying in the dead grass in front of the house. All of them were unmoving, which meant someone had put them down.

They all climbed out of the vehicles. Beth was still whimpering and clinging to her sister, and Glenn stood behind them, placing a comforting hand on Maggie's shoulder. Lori and Carl were instructed to stay in the car until they knew the place was completely safe. Carl didn't like that one bit, but stayed in the car as he was told.

On a closer look, Carol saw that one of the walkers seemed to have a broken bolt sticking from its temple. The rest of them had holes in their foreheads. Curious, Carol wondered if they had been killed by an arrow, as well.

T-Dog and Glenn approached, weapons drawn.

"Do you think it's safe?" Glenn asked, pointing to the house with his gun.

"I don't know," she answered. "Let's check it out. Maggie can stay out here with the kids and Lori. Carl has a gun, too."

They all nodded in silent agreement. The house didn't look very big and since there were three of them scouting it out, it wouldn't take them long to be able to deem it safe or not. Carol felt slightly nervous. She had never been on the team that would clear out a house before the rest of the group went inside, but she knew she could handle it. Normally, she hung back with Lori, Beth and Carl, and sometimes Hershel. But right now, Beth needed Maggie, so she chose to be the one to stay behind.

Several minutes went by and then, the house was cleared. There had been no walkers lurking around and no humans, either, even though Carol felt like the house was still being lived in. None of the furniture had a layer of dust and the kitchen seemed to be stocked.

"Wow, that's great!" Glenn's optimistic voice caused Carol to jump. She had been the one in charge of looking in the kitchen and she had found all of the supplies within the cupboards.

"Sorry," he apologized for scaring her and then, moved to open more of the cupboards, revealing more canned goods.

"We can stay here for awhile, wait for Rick and Hershel to find us, and we won't even have to use our own supplies," T-Dog said with a smile as he joined the other two.

Carol left them to ooh and ahh over the cans and looked over the rest of the house. It had two fairly decent-sized rooms, a bathroom and a living room with a small couch. It would be cramped if all seven-well, nine with Rick and Hershel, were to sleep inside. She knew that the Grimes family would take one of the rooms and Glenn and Maggie would take the other. Beth would sleep on the couch and Hershel would sleep on the floor beside it, which would leave Carol and T-Dog to make their own beds wherever they could find room on the floor of the living room. Luckily, it was carpeted and there was a fireplace to keep them warm as the night would grow cold.

Finally, she walked to the front door and called for the rest of their group to come in. Beth still clung to Maggie and Carl walked in slightly behind Lori, hand resting lightly on the gun at his hip. Carol explained what they had found and the number of rooms. Beth went straight to the window, facing the front, and Lori joined her, hands ghosting over her protruded belly.

Rick always came back. He had proven that again and again to Lori over the last few months, but Carol knew that the woman would worry every time her husband would leave, even if their relationship seemed shattered at the moment.

"Carol." A hand was placed on her shoulder and she turned to see Maggie standing there, looking weary and sad. Her father's unknown whereabouts bothered her, as well, but she knew she had to be strong for her younger sister.

"Yes, Maggie?"

"Can you keep an eye on Beth? I'm going to help Glenn burn the bodies out front."

"Of course, honey." Carol squeezed Maggie's hand. "You'll father will come back safe. He's with Rick and I know there's nothing in this world that would keep him from his girls."

Tears misted in Maggie's eyes. "Thank you." She let go of Carol's hand and followed Glenn outside.

Carol turned to the window and watched Beth stare out the glass. There she was, putting back into the role of caretaker and guardian. At least, no one looked at her with pity or thought her weak, anymore.

* * *

_**Mid-January** _

The day Daryl got separated from Merle had been a day like every other day.

Three months before, Merle had found a small, one story home a little reminiscent of their old home. The driveway had been mostly hidden and Daryl was surprised that Merle had even found it. But if they had trouble finding it that meant other people would too.

The house would work nicely for them during the winter. In the living room, there was a small fireplace Daryl knew they would make use of and there were two bedrooms. It was a little rundown, the furniture was sparse and in the refrigerator, they were greeted with an unopened case of beer.

"It's like they knew we were comin'!" Merle hooted and pulled the case from the fridge, eager to open it up. It had been so long since they had alcohol. Luckily, when they had opened the fridge it had been empty except for the beer. Otherwise, they would have been greeted with a God-awful smell.

"Here." Merle thrust a can into Daryl's hand before opening one for himself and chugging it down in one gulp.

Daryl opened his and took a sip. Then, another. It was warm, but good. He hadn't had beer since the world had gone to shit. Before long, Daryl was reaching for another and Merle was on his third. Daryl was no lightweight, but when he reached for a third can, he began to feel a little dizzy. If Merle was feeling the same, he didn't show it. He had taken two more cans and went into the living room and sat on the couch.

Daryl decided that he was done drinking for the night, but even though they had a good shelter, now, it wouldn't do them any good if both of them were drunk and Daryl had no problem being the sober one. Normally, that had been his job, anyway.

Instead of joining Merle on the couch, he decided to scout the area around the house while the sun was still giving them light. It didn't take him long to scout the area and he returned to the house just as the sun was setting. In the living room, Merle was snoring on the couch, two empty beer cans on the table in front of him and it was almost like old times. Daryl just shook his head at his brother and went to one the rooms, where he would be sleeping on a real bed.

After that first day, things started to fall back to how they had been during the first few days of the outbreak. Daryl would go out hunting, even though the weather made game scare and Merle would sit on his ass at home. Since there was a fireplace, Merle was in charge of constantly keeping it lit and making sure there was enough firewood stacked on the side of the house.

They were in worst of the winter cold and Daryl would go outside bundled in a several layers. Spring was a few months out and that meant there would be more game for him to hunt. Game had been pretty sparse over the last several weeks and more times than not, Daryl would come to the house empty-handed. Luckily, they had scavenged enough supplies and food before they had settled down, to get them by.

Daryl hadn't been in the woods long before he spotted the first walker. It had been a man, from what he could tell. The skin on its face sagged and its left leg was twisted and dragging. The kill had been an easy one. A bolt straight through the eye. With a triumphant grin, Daryl went to retrieve his bolt...and froze.

Stumbling through the trees were hundreds more walkers, coming from every direction. Daryl didn't think, he ran.

The walkers had seen him. Daryl knew he couldn't run back to the house and lead them all back to Merle. With that many walkers, they could tear the place apart and there was no way he and Merle could take on that many. He hadn't seen a herd that size since before the farmhouse. This time, though, he didn't have the truck to hide in or the cover of night. Daryl knew he had to think of something fast because soon he would get tired and the undead fuckers would be on him.

With that many walkers, they wouldn't leave enough remains for Merle to identify.

Up ahead, like a beacon, Daryl spotted a large oak tree. The trunk was big enough to hide behind and there were enough branches he could climb. Though there were no leaves, yet, he knew climbing the tree would be better than to keep running. All he had to do was run a little faster, and he would be fine.

The crossbow on his back kept banging against the same spot on his shoulder and he knew there would be a bruise there, later, but that was the least of his problems at the moment.

Sliding around the large trunk, Daryl immediately began to climb. The trunk was large enough that he couldn't see the herd coming as he climbed and hoped that meant they couldn't see him, either. He didn't stop climbing until the first walkers began to stumble past the tree. Daryl froze, not wanting to make a sound, knowing if he did, they would look up to see him and with a group that many, there would be no escape for him. He would be stuck in that tree until he died of starvation.

Daryl waited in that tree for what felt like hours. His arms and legs had started to ache from holding himself so still. He didn't even dare to breath heavily let alone move a muscle. But soon, the last of the walkers filed past. He still didn't move until they were completely out of his sight.

Once his feet hit the forest floor, Daryl took off running to the house. He had tried to lead the herd away from it, but he wasn't sure how far the herd reached. Merle could very well have had his own walkers to deal with. Daryl just hoped that it wasn't too many.

When he reached the house, four walkers were banging on the doors and windows. Daryl made quick work of them, and was surprised when he shot the last bolt, it snapped in the middle when it made contact with the soft tissue of the walker's temple. He collected the bolts, all except the broken one and went inside.

No Merle.

Running back outside, heart pounding, he noticed that the truck was gone. After being there only a month, they had decided they would hide the truck or conceal it a bit, so no one saw and took it. The idea had seemed good one at the time. Now, the camouflage tarp they had pulled over the vehicle lay on the ground.

With a sigh of relief, Daryl saw that Merle had gotten out before the herd could bust down the house. Though a few stragglers had stayed behind, it wasn't like the number of walkers Daryl had run from in the woods.

Shaking his head, Daryl made his way back to the front door, chuckling to himself. He wasn't worried. Merle would be back.

For a week, Daryl waited in that house.

Merle never came back.


	8. Chapter Eight

**I start school on Monday :/ So, updates may not be as often as they are, now.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

_**Early April** _

Daryl felt as if he had traveled and searched all of Georgia for Merle, when in reality he had only gone in a giant circle. He had even walked alongside the Tennessee-Georgia border, debating if he should cross it. He had never been out of Georgia before in his life. But no, he kept both feet firmly on Georgia soil and continued on. Merle was still somewhere in their home state, Daryl could feel it. He wished he could feel  _exactly_  where his brother had run off to. It would have made everything so much easier for Daryl. He had been on the road for two months and still had found no trace of Merle.

Daryl knew that Merle thought him dead. That was the reason why he had never come back to the house. At first, it had stung. His older brother hadn't even given him a chance of surviving. Sure the herd had been huge, but Daryl was a Dixon. It took a lot to kill them. However, Daryl understood his brother's thinking and would have most likely done the same if their positions had been reversed.

Now, Daryl found himself in front of the same house he had abandoned two months prior. It looked exactly the same, except the walkers he had left to rot in the front yard were gone, which meant someone had burned or buried them.

It definitely had not been Merle. Merle would have left the bodies to decompose fully in the yard. Daryl had always been the one to suggest they burn them. Merle had always been reluctant to do the work.

With his crossbow at eye level, he pushed open the front door.

Nothing seemed amiss. The furniture had a thin layer of dust collecting on their surfaces. That meant no one had been in there for a while. Daryl made sure to check both bedrooms and the bathroom before he made his way to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, all of the drawers and cupboards were open and empty. Whoever had been here after him had taken all of the supplies he had stored. He didn't blame them. When he had decided to leave the house and search for Merle, he had taken whatever he could carry, which wasn't much since he was on foot. Merle had taken the truck. Even now, his pack was weighted down with clothing and several cans of food. Lucky thing, too, because he was starving. He had not stopped to eat since he had begun walking that morning after breakfast.

He set his bow on the table in the middle of the room and made sure it was within easy reach as he moved around the kitchen. First thing he did was make sure the stove still worked. They had been lucky to find out that the stove and water ran on gas. However, they only used the stove and used the creek a mile out to wash up in. Daryl was happy that the previous tenants hadn't used up all the gas and he could warm up one of the cans of stew he had.

Once his food was hot, he poured it into a bowl, grabbed a spoon from one of the drawers, his bow and headed to the living room where he would eat his meal on the couch. That was where he and Merle had taken most of their meals, almost mirroring how they had eaten before the virus had spread. However, this time there was no TV to stare at and no beer to drink. Daryl was just left with his thoughts.

It had been him and his thoughts for two months, now and it surprised him how much he had to think about. Merle, Carol, the letters and surviving. However, Carol and the letters weren't on his mind as much as they other two, anymore. Finding Merle and staying alive were his main priorities, now. Maybe when he found Merle, he could go back to looking for any trace of Carol. Maybe he could find more letters to the dead. But she was probably out of state by now...or dead.

The letters still remained in his pocket, creased, dog-eared and well read. Every night, he would take one out and read it. Daryl had them all memorized. Except for one. The one written to Sophia. That one he kept separately from the others and didn't take out to read. Foolishly, he thought that if he didn't read about the little girl being dead, she wasn't really. Sophia was still out there with her mother. Still alive.

He was a Goddamn idiot.

After he had finished his meal, Daryl deposited the empty bowl in the sink and went outside to do a quick perimeter check before he called it a night. It was difficult to be on your own. Most nights he didn't sleep and when he did, he jumped awake at every little sound. If he found a car that worked, he was lucky. Nights would be spent inside the shelter and days were spent driving the Georgia roads. But when the cars would run out of gas or just plain old break down, Daryl was on his feet, again. Some nights, he would find shelter in an abandoned house, house or shed and others; he would climb the nearest tree and attempt to get some shut-eye. It was a miracle that he hadn't fallen and broken his neck.

Daryl was looking forward to actually sleeping in a real bed with a locked door to protect him. From the undead, anyway.

Surprisingly, during his five months on the road, he had not come across any people. It was beginning to look like he was really the last man alive on Georgia. Hell, maybe even the world. Except, he knew Merle was still out there. Nothing could kill Merle, except Merle.

He was still out there. Somewhere.

The woods grew dark as the sun began to set and Daryl made his way back to the house. He didn't want to be stuck outside after dark. For all he knew, another herd could be out there. Once he entered his shelter, he locked the door and shoved the couch against it. No undead fuckers were getting inside.

Once he made sure nothing was getting in the house while he slept, Daryl went to one of the bedrooms, the same one he had claimed when it had been just him and Merle, and shoved the bed against the door. He knew that if anything were to get in, he would hear it before it made its way to the bedroom, but he wanted to be safe and not sorry.

Being sorry meant you were dead.

It didn't take long for Daryl to fall asleep. He laid sprawled on the bed with one hand dangling over the side, right next to his crossbow.

The next morning, he was jolted from a dreamless sleep when he heard a car driving up the driveway and the sound of doors slamming shut.

* * *

_**February** _

Rick and Hershel didn't find the little house until it had gone completely dark outside. Glenn and T-Dog had been keeping watch in the front, lanterns glowing by their feet. When they heard the sound of an approaching vehicle, they lifted their weapons, ready to defend their group and family. However, they recognized the vehicle immediately. Glenn ran into the house to inform the rest of the group Hershel and Rick had found them while T-Dog went to check if they were all right.

Beth raced out of the house and into her father's arms. Carl followed, with a slightly slower Lori. The young Grimes embraced his father while Lori stayed behind and witnessed the scene with longing. She didn't move to embrace her husband and Rick didn't move to embrace his wife. They just looked at one another and nodded. Carol's heart hurt for her pregnant friend.

"We saw the herd as we were coming back to camp," Rick explained once they were all inside the house. The fire caused shadows to flicker across his face. Carl sat by his feet, face completely concealed by the Sheriff's hat he always wore, while Beth was wrapped up in her father's arms, afraid to let him go.

"We knew you guys had seen it before it made it to camp, so we backed up and drove in the opposite direction," Rick continued. "Luckily, they hadn't seen us and we weren't followed."

"The tricky part was finding out where you all had run off to," Hershel added with a slight chuckle.

"We can't exactly leave signs pointing where we should meet up since we're always on the road." This time it was Glenn that spoke up. Maggie's back was pressed against his chest as they sat together, leaning against one of the walls.

"I know," Rick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We'll just have to plan on not getting separated until we find a more permanent place to stay."

"When will that be, dad?" Carl asked, craning his neck to look up at his father.

Again, Rick sighed. "I don't know. But we need to find someplace before winter." Lori's baby was due in a few months, but he would never say that was the reason for finding a place more permanent. Even if everyone knew it was the reason. Carol reached over and squeezed Lori's hand, who had been leaning against her on the couch. It was growing late and the stress of the day was weighing heavily on the pregnant woman. She didn't need anymore stress.

"Would you like something before bed, Lori?" Carol asked, quietly. The room had gone quiet after Hershel and Rick told their story on how they had found the house and the rest of them. At Carol's words, though, they began to move around a bit, getting ready for bed.

"No, thank you, Carol," she said and gave Carol a waning smile. "I think I'm going to get in bed before..." Before Rick went to the room. She had confided in Carol that it made things easier if she was already asleep, or at least pretending to sleep, when Rick would slip into whatever bed or tent they shared.

Carol wanted to cry for her friend, sometimes, but she had cried enough these last few months to last her a lifetime.

Carol stood up and followed Lori to the bedroom to make sure that she didn't need anything else and then, came back to the living room. Hershel was pulling out the couch, turning it into a bed for himself and Beth while T-Dog had an armful of blankets he dropped to the floor to start making something that would be somewhat comfortable for him to sleep on. Rick shooed Carl to bed and announced that he was going to take first watch. Before she could even think about it, Carol was volunteering to take watch with him.

"Glenn and I'll take the next watch," Maggie said from the doorway to their room and looked at Carol. "You can take the bed when you come in. Last night, you slept in the car and we know how uncomfortable that is."

"Okay. Thank you, Maggie." Carol wasn't going to turn down a bed, especially since she still had a crick in her neck from sleeping in the car. They only had three small tents for when they camped out. The Grimes always got their own and the rest would switch off between the two. Last night, it had been her turn to sleep in a vehicle.

"We'll come and get you in a few hours," Rick said and then, turned to Carol. "You got your gun?"

She nodded and patted her hip where her gun had been the whole time. She was rarely without it, now. "Yeah. Ready?" Rick answered by opening the front door.

Carol stepped outside and stepped a few feet away from where Rick stood. She longed to talk to him about the treatment of his wife, but she knew that thoughts of Lori plagued him all the time. It just hurt to see them like this. They had been so happy when Rick had found them back at the quarry and Shane had torn them apart. Carl needed both his parents. Together. Already he seemed to be picking sides and it was Rick's. Poor Lori was being isolated by her own blood family. Carol promised to always be by her friend's side to let her know that she wasn't alone in this world.

Rick turned to her. "Nice night out, huh?"

It was a nice night. The moon was shining bright enough that it was making it easy to see their surroundings clearly. "Yeah, it is." And that was all the talking they had done.

The next day, after breakfast, they all piled into the three vehicles, again, and were off. To where, no one knew. But Carol knew they needed to find some place and soon. For Lori and the rest of their sakes.

* * *

**_Early April_ **

Daryl nearly fell out of the bed in his haste to gather up his crossbow. Someone had just pulled up to the cabin and he needed to find out of they were friendly or not. He shoved the bed away from the door, but kept his crossbow at eye level. The only point of entry was the front door...well, the windows could be used too, he supposed. Either way, he would be ready if they tried to get in.

"The door's locked, Rick," said a voice from the other side of the front door. Daryl watched as the doorknob jingled, again. "Do you think someone is in there?"

"Possibly. Keep a sharp eye out." Another voice joined the first. Rick.

So, there were only two. He could take two. Maybe.

Daryl moved the couch but didn't unlock the door. The large piece of furniture made a loud sound as it scrapped across the wooden floorboards.

"What was that?" The first voice said sounding slightly panicked.

"Who's in there?" Asked the second one. It looked like Rick was the one in charge.

"Okay," said Daryl, willing to interact with the first two living, breathing humans he had seen in months. "I'm goin' to open the door. I won't shoot you if you don't shoot me."

There was a few seconds of silence before the second voice answered, the one named Rick, "All right. Deal.  _If_  you're the only you in there."

"I'd swear to you that it's just me, but I doubt you would believe me."

"You're right," Rick said. "Open on the count of three."

"All right. One..."

"Two..."

"Three!" They said the last number together and Daryl threw open the door. He was met with the barrel of a shotgun and a pistol in his face. He didn't mind. He had his crossbow at the ready, too. He knew he couldn't completely trust them with not shooting him.

Daryl was the first to lower his weapon when it was clear that they weren't going to shoot him. The Asian man with the shotgun lowered his next, while the dark-haired man with a beard was more reluctant to put down his weapon.

"Why are you here?" Daryl asked with narrowed eyes.

"We need supplies," the bearded man said. "We stayed here for a few days in the winter and were hoping that there would be some useful things left."

So they had been the one to get rid of the walker bodies out front. "I ain't got anythin' except a few cans of stew and I ain't willin' to part with them."

The Asian man nodded his head and the bearded man ran a hand through his thick, brown hair. "We are also in need of blankets and things like that. We...we have a pregnant woman with us."

Daryl sympathized with them and it had been so long since he had talked with anyone besides Merle. "I'm only usin' one of the bedrooms in here. You can take whatever you need from the other room." Daryl stepped aside and gestured to the room with the closed door somewhere behind him.

"Really?" The Asian man asked in surprise.

"I'm not usin' it." Daryl shrugged.

"Okay, then."The Asian man turned and gave Rick an odd look.

"Why don't you go get the stuff and I'll stay here and chat with..."

"Daryl." He hadn't told anyone his name in a long time. It felt good.

"With Daryl."

"You sure, Rick?"

"Go on, Glenn." Rick gestured to the back room with his head while keep his eyes on Daryl. Most likely in case he tried to do anything or maybe to see if he could tell if he was hiding someone else in that room. However, Daryl didn't move. He stood frozen while a little girl's voice ran through his head.

_"Mama, Glenn told me and Carl that tomorrow he, Ms. Andrea and Jacqui, and Mr. Morales and T-Dog were going to try to find us some marshmallows on their run tomorrow, so we can toast them over the fire."_

This Glenn couldn't be  _that_  Glenn. The odds of that happening were a million to one and Sophia hadn't mentioned a Rick. But he couldn't past this chance up. He'd never get another one. Merle was still out there alive and he needed to know if Carol was, too.

"Do you..." His voice sound unrecognizable to his ears. It rasped. "Do you know Carol?"


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

"Carol?" Rick looked confused and slightly taken aback by the name. Daryl wasn't sure what that meant. Hopefully something good.

"Did he just ask about Carol?" Glenn came out of the unused bedroom, arms full of blankets. Rick took his eyes off Daryl and shot his partner a look. Glenn looked away, sheepish. Daryl saw him mutter 'oops' under his breath.

"So," Daryl turned back to Rick. "You  _do_  know Carol, then?"

"Yeah," Rick finally answered after sighing and running a hand through his dark hair. "We know  _a_  Carol. She's back at our camp with my wife and a few others."

Daryl couldn't believe it. Carol was out there and still alive. She had even stayed in this very house. "Uh, I-I have somethin' of hers. Do you think you could give it back?" It was Sophia's letter. He had no right to still have it.

"Sure," Glenn answered for Rick.

"All right. Let me get it." He slung his bow over his shoulder and moved to the bedroom. Movement from the corner of his eye stopped him. Rick had moved fast to his side. Though he didn't touch Daryl, it looked like he wanted to grab his arm to stop him. Daryl was glad that he hadn't because he may have punched the man just on a reflex.  _That_  would not have gone over well.

"I'll come with you." Though his gun was put away in the holster on his hip, Rick's hand hovered over the handle. It was clear that the man didn't fully trust him. Daryl didn't blame him because he didn't full trust them, either. Trust was hard to come by in this world.

"That's fine. I'm just goin' into the other bedroom."

Rick only nodded and stayed close to Daryl's back as they entered the room. Daryl hoped he didn't get a bullet in the back when he walked over to the night table, pushed to the side when he had moved the bed. On its flat surface, all of Carol's letters were laid out. However, he would only be giving Rick  _one_ of them back. He was too selfish to give them all back.

"Here." He handed Rick the letter in purple pen. The man took it with a confused look and slipped it into the front pocket of his black jeans. "Don't read it," Daryl said, firmly. "I shouldn't have read it. It's...it's personal."

Rick still looked extremely confused, but still was on guard. "Did you know Carol...before?" More movement caught his eye and Daryl saw Glenn stop in the doorway to listen in on the conversation.

"Uh. No." He couldn't tell them where he had first seen Carol. Daryl didn't know how they would react if they were to know he had been creeping around their quarry camp. "A few months ago, my brother and I came across this farmhouse just off the highway; the mailbox read 'Greene' on the mailbox." Rick didn't give anything away, but Glenn seemed to wince a little. "I found this row of graves and on one of them was this letter. I knew I shouldn't have read it, but I did. That's how I know who Carol is."

"But how did you know to ask us if we knew Carol?" Glenn asked, leaning against the doorframe. He seemed more relaxed in Daryl's presence than Rick.

 _Fuck_. "Well, she mentioned a Glenn in the letter and when I found out your name, I thought 'what the hell' and asked. Figured no harm would come from it." He shrugged. "And I got lucky."

"What if the Carol you're talking about and the Carol we know isn't the same?" Rick asked, making it feel like they were playing twenty fucking questions with him, but Daryl remained patient.

"The letter. It's to her daughter. Sophia." This time both men winced. Daryl nearly did the same, but he made sure to keep himself in check around them. Rick and Glenn didn't know that he had seen Sophia before, taking care of her mother back at the quarry. Saying the dead little girl's name hurt.

"It's the same Carol," Glenn said, softly. "S-Sophia was her only child. She went missing on the highway when a herd passed through and we didn't find her until we opened Hershel's barn." He looked up from the floor and to Daryl. "It was full of walkers."

Daryl closed his eyes and tried hard to visualize the look of absolute horror and despair Carol must have worn on her face once her little girl walked from that barn a walker.  _God_. He couldn't imagine the pain she had gone through seeing her daughter that way. If he had been with the group, maybe he could have saved her.

"I'm sorry," he choked out. Finally. The words had barely made it past the lump in his throat.

"Carol, she was pretty messed up after that," Glenn continued. "But she pulled it together and found a will to live. She's one our biggest assets, especially since she's learned to shoot."

 _That's my girl_.

"You should come back with us."

Rick, who had been silent for the past several minutes as Glenn talked about Sophia and Carol, shot his companion another look.

Glenn ignored it. "You can give her back the letter yourself."

"Glenn," Rick warned.

"What? Daryl's on his own, he let us have some of his supplies with no fight and he hasn't tried to kill us. You know we could always use more people to protect the group and he looks pretty capable of doing that to me."

It was weird for Daryl to stand there and listen to Glenn as if he wasn't in the room. Truthfully, he was shocked at all what the young man had said. Normally, he didn't make very good impressions on people. Once they learned he was a Dixon, things went downhill from there. Fast.

Rick sighed and looked at Daryl. "Glenn's right. You look capable of protecting our people and yourself. If you want, you are welcome to come back with us."

_Yes. God, yes._

But, he couldn't. Even though going with Rick and Glenn would mean he would  _finally_  meet Carol. He would finally be able to set his eyes on the woman who had plagued his thoughts so many times over the months. Daryl wanted to see for himself how well she was faring, now that Sophia was gone. But, he  _couldn't._

With a heavy heart, he answered, "Thanks, but I can't. I...I really would like to. It sucks bein' on your own, you know? But my brother, Merle, he's out there somewhere and I have to look for him. He's the only family I have left."

Fuck Merle and damn him for being gone. If he hadn't run off after that herd, Daryl could have gone with Glenn and Rick. He could have come face to face with Carol and actually  _speak_  with her and have her speak to him, instead of just reading her words on a piece of paper.

Would they still have offered for him to join them if Merle had been there? Daryl wasn't too sure.

"I get it." Rick nodded solemnly. "I was separated from my family when this whole thing started and somehow, I found them, again. You'll find your brother." He offered Daryl a half smile, which was probably the biggest smile he would get out of the man.

"If I find my brother or change my mind, is there anyway I could find you?" Daryl knew he had to ask. He had to try.

"No." Rick shook his head. "With the herds we keep encountering, we have to always be on the move. I'm sorry."

"It's all right." No, it wasn't. He wanted to throw shit. Fuck Merle. This was probably going to be the only opportunity he would get to see Carol. "Just make sure Carol gets that letter, all right?"  _And make sure she stays safe..._

"We will," Glenn said and nodded. "Thanks for the supplies. We really appreciate it." He held out a hand. Daryl looked at for a moment before realizing that Glenn wanted to shake hands and shook it.

Rick shook his hand, as well. Then, the two men were walking to the front door and to their vehicles. Daryl wished he could pack up his meager belongings and follow them into the car. But, Merle was family and he couldn't just abandon him, even if that was what his older brother had done to him.

"Hey!" Daryl called. Glenn stopped and turned to him while Rick opened the driver's side of the car. "If you ever need a place to stay, temporarily...or permanent, you can come back here." Daryl could lie to himself all day about the real reason for offering up his shelter, but it would always come down to the fact that he just wanted to  _see_  Carol, again.

Rick nodded. "Will do." And he climbed into his seat and started the engine.

"You sure you won't come with us?" Glenn asked.

"Naw, I can't."  _Stop asking!_ He wanted to shout. The next time could very well be the time he would say yes.

"All right. Well, good luck, Daryl and I hope you find your brother."

"Thanks."

Daryl watched as the young man climbed into the car and Rick started backing up down the driveway. Already he was regretting not going with them, but Merle was his first priority. He  _had_  to be.

 _Fuck, I was_ so _close._

* * *

Carol watched, sadly, as Carl glared at his mother one more time before stomping off to the edge of camp where T-Dog was currently keeping an eye on the woods. The more Rick went out on runs for supplies, the more Carl wanted to go with. Lori always protested against it. Carl was just too young. Rick didn't want him along, either, but since Lori was the more vocal one of the two, then she was the one who Carl was angry at most of the time.

Carol didn't think it was very fair, but she made sure to stay out of the Grimes's family drama as much as she could.

"I don't know what to do with him, Carol." Lori sounded almost on the verge of tears, one of the effects of her pregnancy, and slowly, because of her large belly, took a seat on one of the logs Carol was perched on. It was Carol's turn to prepare the meal and she was stirring a pot of meatless stew. Carol's lips twitched slightly. Actually, it was more like vegetable soup or it could even just be called slightly seasoned water because there was so few chopped up vegetables floating around in the liquid.

"He's growing up, Lori. He's a teenager, now, and he's at that stage where he feels like he doesn't have to listen to his mother."

_Sophia will never reach that stage._

"But he has to know I only want what's best for him and I don't want him going out there, getting hurt or...worse. He's not ready, yet." Lori twirled her ring around her finger. It was no longer on a chain around her neck.

Carol set the wooden spoon aside and sat back until her shoulder brushed against Lori's. "What if he goes with Rick?" She looked at her friend.

"The last time I let him go with Rick..."

 _He was shot_ , Carol finished for Lori in her mind.

Lori must have seen the look on her friend's face and quickly said, "I don't blame him for that. I just can't forget what happened to my little boy when I left him out of my sight for that long."

Rick had been the last one with Sophia and...No, Carol had forgiven him a long time ago. Rick had only wanted to help her little girl. He had no idea things would play out the way they did. No one would have been able to.

"I understand," Carol finally said and reached over to squeeze one of Lori's hands.

The pregnant woman shot her a grateful smile before turning her gaze to the fire, her mind a hundred miles away. Carol went back to stirring the soup, but made sure to keep an eye on the rest of the group.

T-Dog and Carl stood at the edge, still facing the woods. Maggie sat on one of the bed of T-Dog's truck, keeping watch and keeping an eye out for Glenn's return. Hershel was taking a much-needed nap in one of the tents, it had been his turn to sleep in one of the vehicles and he hadn't slept very well. Beth sat near the tent her father was napping in and was scratching away in her diary.

_Beth and Sophia could have been friends._

It still hurt to think of Sophia in the past tense, but Carol wasn't going to allow it to stop her from thinking about her daughter. And she did think about Sophia. Every day. Every night. All the time. Sophia was the reason why Carol was still alive. She had given Carol the will to live even when she hadn't wanted to go on without her daughter.

Not for the first time, Carol went to play with the gold chain around her neck but remembered that it was no longer there and was still dangling on the cross over Sophia's grave back at the farm. Some days she wished she had the necklace back and others, she was glad she had left something of hers for her daughter.

"They're back!" Maggie's voice shook Carol from her thoughts and she turned to see the younger woman standing up, pointing down the road. A smile was on her face, meaning she had seen Glenn.

Lori stood, with a little help from Carol, and went to meet the car. Carl came running, too, but kept his distance from his mother. Hershel had woken up from his nap and peeking his head out of the tent flap. Beth had put down her diary and went to join Maggie in waiting for the car to come to a stop.

The smile on everyone's face fell away when they saw the panicked looks on Glenn and Rick's faces.

"Pack everything up," Glenn said and shot from the car to help dismantle the tents.

"There's a herd!" Rick yelled. "They were coming out of the woods and saw the car. They're coming our way. We have to hurry."

The tents were down and packed within seconds. They had done this many times before. The soup was dumped out, leaving only a few pitiful carrots on the ground as the dirt absorbed the broth. The pot was then thrown into the back of T-Dog's truck along with many of their other supplies.

Carol hopped into the passenger's seat of the truck just as the first car, filled with members of their group, drove off and the first walkers started to make their appearances. They shuffled from the road and the woods.

She glanced in the side mirror at their abandoned campsite. The only thing left was the fire and that would soon be stomped out by the hundreds of undead feet.

* * *

The living room grew dark as the sun set and Daryl hadn't moved from his spot on the couch for hours. He hadn't even gone on a perimeter check. Instead, he sat on the worn cushions and stared at the faded walls of the living room. The remains of the meal he made were congealing in the bowl on the table in front of him. He had only taken a few bites before his appetite was lost.

Maybe he should have just given Glenn and Rick the rest of his food. Or...he should have just gone with them.

It was too late, now.

"God dammit!" He shouted and kicked the table hard with his booted foot. It screeched across the hardwood floor and the bowl on top fell and cracked.

Daryl placed his head on the back of the couch and closed his eyes. Maybe this whole thing was a dream. Maybe he would wake up in his bed without having met Glenn and Rick. That way he would feel so much better. But he knew that it hadn't been a dream.

The room suddenly lit up as a pair of headlights shone through the windows. Daryl was on his feet in an instant, going straight into survival mode and grabbed his crossbow. Rick and Glenn had turned out to be friendly, but what were the odds of these people being friendly, too? Not much.

Daryl stood a few feet from the door, crossbow loaded and ready to fire if the need arose for him to use it. He had never used it on a living person and he hoped that today would not be the first. Voices drifted through the door. "I know the Gov wants us back as soon as possible, but I ain't makin' the trip back through the dark. Especially when I know there's a perfect place to rest for awhile."

Daryl knew that voice.

"How did you know this place was here?" Another voice joined the first. This one had a slight accent.

"My brother and I stayed here during the winter."

There was no fucking way. It  _was_  Merle. He put his bow down.

"Your brother, huh?"

"He's dead. A herd came through while he was out on a hunt. There was no way he could have survived with all them mother fuckers out there," Merle said.

 _Well, I did!_  Daryl wanted to shout through the door.

The handle jiggled a little as one of the men turned it on the other side. That was when Daryl realized he hadn't even locked up. The door flew up open and the light from the headlights momentarily blinded him.

"Who the hell are you?" The other man yelled and a gun was shoved in his face. Daryl rapidly blinked and tried to regain some of his vision.

"Fuck. Martinez put the gun down," Merle yelled and threw an arm down on Martinez's forearm. "That's my brother."

Martinez looked at Merle in confusion. "But you just said he was dead."

Merle was looking right at Daryl, now. His eyes were wide, like he was seeing a ghost. Daryl felt the same as he looked right back at his older brother.

_If only your ass had shown up yesterday..._

Merle said in disbelief, "I thought he was."

* * *

**I'm sorry! I know some of you thought they would be meeting soon, but not yet. :/ Please, please, please be patient with me!**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

Carol was  _exhausted._

Everyone was. The constant running from walkers, sleeping on hard ground or not sleeping at all, and the endless cold were all adding up. Taking their tolls. Poor Lori. The baby was due any day, now, and they were still having to run for their lives as walkers continued to come at them from all sides. The stress could not be good for either mother or baby. Though, Carol tried her best to keep Lori comfortable, she could only do so much. She tried hard to be the friend to lean on when things were tough, but Lori needed the emotional support from her husband...and wasn't getting it.

After what seemed like hours on the road, Rick pulled the little caravan down a gravel driveway. They had lost the herd several miles back and were hopeful they would not run into them anytime soon. Of course, that was what they had hoped the last time they had to outrun the dozens of walkers.

The driveway was long and winding, but finally the three cars pulled up to a decent-sized one story home. They would not all get their own space in a house that size, but it was a roof and a place to finally rest. Hopefully on something more comfortable than the ground or the cramped back seat of a car. Also, what made everyone relax a bit at the sight was that there seemed to be no walkers shuffling around the property. Of course, that didn't mean there were none on the inside. Everyone climbed out of their vehicles and made a half-circle around Rick. Their leader. Lori fell behind, knowing that she wouldn't be of any use for what Rick was going to say.

"Glenn, T-Dog, Maggie and Carl, I want you all to come with me to check out the house." Lori's gasp was muffled by the hand she used to cover her mouth, but Carol had heard it and her heart went out to the other woman. Carl had never cleared out a house or building before.

The group dispersed, then. The ones clearing out the house went to their vehicles to grab their weapons. Lori went to one of the cars, but only to sit in the front seat. Rick didn't even glance his wife's way as he walked up to Carol.

"Keep an eye on her for me," he said, gesturing to Lori with a slight tilt of his head.

"Keep an eye on  _him_ ," Carol responded firmly, looking to Carl. "For  _her._ "

Rick nodded and squeezed her shoulder. "I will, and thank you." He wasn't just thanking Carol for keeping an eye on Lori for that moment. No. He was thanking her for  _all_  the moments Carol had dedicated to taking care of his wife. He looked toward his wife with an unreadable expression and then, turned to join the rest of the clearing team.

Hershel, with Beth glued to his side, walked over to the car Lori was sitting in and placed a comforting, almost fatherly hand on the pregnant woman's shoulder. While Carol had given Lori emotional support, Hershel had given the medical support being the closest thing they had to a doctor in their group.

Carol wasn't far off. From where she stood, she could see Lori clearly and it pained her to see that her eyes had not left the back of her son as he walked into the house behind his father, gun out. Her brown eyes were swimming, but no tears fell.

Carol walked around the back of the car so she could slid into the seat next to Lori. She wrapped an arm around her friend and didn't say anything. Lori leaned against Carol's shoulder and together, they kept their eyes glued on the house, hoping and praying that everyone would come out safely.

Several  _long_  minutes later, Rick and the rest of the small group walked out of the house, unharmed. Glenn and Maggie dragged one walker out of the house and T-Dog dragged the other. Rick had a hand on Carl's shoulder, who was beaming and looking very proud of himself. Carol didn't know when was the last time she had seen Carl smile.

Lori detangled herself from Carol's arms and climbed out of the car to greet her son and husband. Carl's smile didn't waver as his mother approached. "Mom, I shot one of the walkers in the head on my first try!" The young man was practically bursting with the need to boast to his mother. The months may have aged him beyond his years, but there was still a need to have his mother's approval, even if he was angry with her most of the time.

Lori placed her hands on Carl's shoulders and smiled down at him while Rick stood off to the side. "I'm proud of you, baby." And Carol saw that there really was  _pride_  in Lori's eyes along with worry. She didn't like that her son was growing up so fast, but she knew he needed to in order to survive...and he was learning to survive.

_If only Sophia had gotten the chance to learn, too..._

Carol had to turn away from the family, tears threatening to obscure her vision. But she turned only for her eyes to land on another family. The Greene family. They were huddled together, along with Glenn, who was as much a part of that family, now, as Maggie and Beth were.

It looked like she and T-Dog were the outcasts of the group. Not that they were treated as such most times and Carol loved all of them like family.

"The house is secure, now," Rick announced as he broke away from Lori and Carl. "Gather what supplies you can from the vehicles and head inside. I'd like for us to discuss our next step once we are all settled."

Carol's heart sank a little at the news. If Rick wanted to discuss their next step that meant they wouldn't be staying in the house for long. Of course she knew that the house was too small to house them all comfortably for a long period of time, but she just wanted to be able to settle in a shelter long enough they could all fully regain their strength.

They were all just  _so_  tired.

Everyone silently broke away from their family units and did as Rick commanded. Not long after, they all sat together in the spacious living room, sitting on blankets, pillows and other various cushions as they passed around cans of fruit and beans.

Hershel was scrapping up the last few bites from one of the cans of beans and scooping them into his mouth when T-Dog, who had been watching him with a horrified look, said in a teasing voice, "Beth, girl, I feel sorry for you. You'll be sleeping next to  _that_  tonight."

"Hey!" Hershel protested, but with a smile. "What's that supposed to mean?" His smile turned into a knowing one. He wasn't fooling anyone.

"Daddy, why do you think we tried to keep the beans on  _this_  side of the room?" Maggie smiled from the other side of the room where she sat close to Glenn. Everyone chuckled, even Rick who hardly participated in their rare moments of levity, anymore.

Hershel shrugged. "I thought you all just wanted the extra protein."

Beth turned wide, innocent blue eyes to Carol, who was sitting next to her. "Can I sleep by you tonight, Carol? Please."

She chuckled and pulled the girl close. "Of course, honey." Beth wrapped her arms around Carol and snuggled her head under Carol's chin. Carol tried hard not to think about the blonde little girl she had lost and who she so desperately wanted to hold like this, again.

"Thank you," Beth said softly and gave Carol a kind smile before she pulled away from the embrace and turned to her father on her other side. "Daddy, there's a storage closest in the hallway that's big enough for you to sleep in. That way you can have your own space."

"And not taint the air in ours!" T-Dog spoke up, again, and everyone began to laugh once more. Hershel took the playful digs with dignity. Carol was glad for these moments where they were allowed to laugh and for once not have to think about the monsters that lurked outside.

Once the laughter died down and everyone was left with little smiles still on their faces, Rick cleared his throat and stood. Everyone's attention went to him. "Since it seems we have our sleeping arrangements all sorted out," he grinned and looked at Hershel. "I would like to talk about what our next step should be. As you all know, we can't keep running like this. For many reasons." One being that his wife's pregnancy was swiftly coming to an end, but he would never say those words aloud.

All eight heads nodded in agreement with the former police officer's words.

"Tomorrow, I would like to go out and look for a permanent place for all of us to settle. Unfortunately, this house is too small." He turned to T-Dog. "And I would like it if you came along, T." The man nodded. Ever since Shane had been killed, Rick looked to the other men in their group when he needed guidance or someone to do supply runs with.

"We'll stay here for a few days, though. It seems sturdy enough. Hopefully, T and I will find something while we're out there. There..." He paused and looked at his wife. "There has to be someplace out there for all of us. There just  _has_  to be."

* * *

After Rick's speech, everyone went their separate ways. Lori and Carl went to one of the rooms they would share with Rick and Glenn and Maggie went to the other, even though Glenn would be taking watch in a few minutes. Hershel took the storage closest as Beth had suggested. He was secretly glad to have the space to himself. T-Dog followed Rick into the kitchen where they had spread out a map and discussed where they would start to look for their new home. Carol was delightfully surprised to find that the couch was a pullout and that she and Beth would actually be able to sleep on a mattress. Though she would only be sleeping on it for half the night. After Glenn came in from watch, it would be her turn.

"I can join you, Carol," Beth said, shyly with her head ducked as she helped put a sheet on the bed. "On watch, I mean. If you want some company."

"Thank you, honey, but you should really get your rest. You never know when we'll be able to sleep on something so comfortable, again."

"Okay. But if you want company, just wake me up and I'll happily come outside." Beth smiled sweetly and slipped under the covers.

"I will. Thank you." Carol was about to join her on the bed when she heard someone walk into the living room. She turned and saw Rick standing there, looking tired, though she knew he would be up for a few more hours. It looked as if he and T-Dog were done planning because T-dog was settling into the armchair in the corner.

"Carol?"

"Yeah?" She replied.

"I have something for you."

"Okay." Carol followed him into the kitchen, confused.

In the middle of the kitchen, on a table, a map was spread out and from where Carl stood she could see various markings and lines. It looked like T-Dog and Rick had planned out the routes they would be taking over the next few days. Carol hoped they would be able to find something.

"What do you have for me?" She asked.

"First, do you know a man named Daryl?"

She shook her head. For the length of her marriage to Ed, he hadn't allowed her to talk with any man unless he was present. Even then, he would still make her be silent. So, she didn't know of a Daryl. Ed didn't have any friends named Daryl, either. "Why?"

"Earlier today, when Glenn and I went out looking for supplies, we decided to go back to the house we had stayed briefly in February. Do you remember it?"

It had had been the house they had all set up in while waiting for Rick and Hershel to find them after being separated by a herd. "Yes, I remember it." She wasn't sure what Rick was getting at. Didn't he say he had something for her?

"Well, there was a man there. His name was Daryl, like I mentioned earlier. He had stayed at that house before we had in the winter. Anyways, he asked if we knew you."

"What?" Impossible. She didn't know a Daryl, so there was no way he would know her, right?

"When we said we knew of  _a_  Carol, he asked if this Carol had a daughter named Sophia." Carol gasped. How had he known that?

"I...don't understand."

"He gave me this, told me not to read it and that it was personal. He said that he wanted to give it back to you." Rick dug a hand in one of his front pockets and came back with a folded piece of paper.

Carol took it with shaky hands. "Thank you."

"He knew about Sophia from that." Rick pointed to the paper.

She looked down at it.  _Could it be_? Carol unfolded the paper and the first thing she noticed was the handwriting.  _Her_  handwriting. Tears sprang to her eyes. It was a letter and it had been written in purple ink. Only one of her letters had been written in that color.

_My dear Sophia. I wish I could say that I'm glad you're in a better place, now. But I'm not. I want you here. With me. I want my baby girl back._

Carol hadn't known that she had been silently crying until Rick placed a hand on either of her shoulders and looked down at her with concern. "Is everything all right, Carol?"

"E-Everything's fine, Rick." She pressed the letter to her chest and offered him a watery smile. "I just thought I would never see this, again, and I just realized how much I missed it. Thank you for bringing it to me." The words on the page, the words meant for her daughter, gave Carol a reminder of how she had survived the winter. It was because of Sophia and these words. They had empowered her and though they had been meant to stay on Sophia's grave forever, she was glad to have it back.

"It's not really me you have to thank. It was Daryl."

Carol closed her eyes and tried to envision the man who had found the letter to her baby girl.  _Thank you, Daryl._

* * *

Daryl still couldn't believe it.  _Merle_  was standing right in front of him.

"Well, are you just goin' to stand there and stare or are you goin' to give your long lost brother Merle a hug?"

Never in Merle's life had he asked for a hug from anyone. Daryl wondered, briefly, what his brother would do if Daryl were to actually take him up on the offer. He'd probably get a cuff on the back of the head and called a pansy, which was the reason why he kept his feet rooted in place. However, it looked as if Merle had been serious and yanked his brother into a bear hug. Daryl had no choice but to reciprocate. It felt extremely odd to be showing affection like this, but he  _had_  missed his brother dearly.

Finally, Merle let him go, but kept a strong hand on Daryl's shoulder. "So, what have you been up to since I've been gone." He spoke as if he had just been away on vacation.

"Lookin' for you," was Daryl's immediate and sharp reply.

Merle's eyes widened. "How did you know I wasn't dead?"

"You took the truck," he stated the obvious. "You took the truck and you got away. Besides, I know nothin' could kill you except you, so I searched. Obviously, you didn't have the same faith in  _my_  survival."

Anger surged through Daryl.  _Always_  he gave Merle the benefit of the doubt. All the times Merle would call Daryl up to bail him out of the jail for the same stupid shit, Merle would tell him he would stop. Stop selling drugs, stop getting into fight. Daryl believed him. But Merle would  _always_  go back to his old ways.

Daryl had searched most of Georgia for two months looking for his brother and never gave up. It seemed the moment Merle had driven away in their truck, he had written Daryl off as being dead.

"What the hell was I supposed to think?" Merle exploded. "I looked out that damn window and saw a shit ton of biters pourin' out of the same fuckin' woods you went running off in. I knew they would tear down the house, so I took the truck and left."

"And you didn't think to come back to make sure I was really dead?" Daryl jerked away from his brother's hand and glared at him. "I waited here for a week, thinking you would come back. I never thought you would have up and  _abandoned_  me." Fuck. He should have just gone with Rick and Glenn.

"Shit. I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you want to hear?"

Martinez stood off to the side, silent, through the whole exchange. However, his head bounced back and forth between the brothers like he was watching a tennis match. Daryl knew that if he didn't calm down, it would soon turn into a boxing match.

Daryl took a deep breath, to calm himself down a bit. Merle had been gone for two months and they didn't need the first time they'd seen each in that time to turn bloody. "So. Where have  _you_  been all this time? It doesn't look like you've been on the road much." It didn't. Both Merle and Martinez were wearing clean clothes and they looked clean, as well. Daryl didn't want to know what he looked like. Probably almost like a walker. He tried, as much as he could, to clean himself off, but that only happened when he would come across a decent size stream or river and when he felt safe enough to actually strip all of his clothes.

"It's a town called Woodbury. Martinez was the one to find me about a week after I left this place and took me there. It's pretty secure. The whole town is surrounded by walls, and its run by a guy who calls himself The Governor."

Daryl wrinkled his nose. Who the hell called themselves that?

"You interested in coming back with us?" Martinez spoke up and though he hadn't said much, Daryl felt like he would like the man.

"Of course he is!" Merle wrapped an arm around Daryl's shoulder and acted as if they hadn't almost gotten into a fistfight a few minutes earlier. "The infamous Dixon brothers have been separated for far too fuckin' long. 'Sides, the Gov will like us bringin' back some more muscle."

Even if Daryl had told Merle about Rick and Glenn, it wouldn't have done him any good. It looked like Daryl's choice had been made for him.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

The next morning Merle woke Daryl up from his spot on the couch with a flick to the nose. Daryl's body ached from its cramped sleeping position and didn't feel like dealing his brother. Martinez had slept in the spare room. Though it didn't have any blankets or pillows anymore, it still had a perfectly good mattress. Merle had taken Daryl's room and that had left Daryl with the small couch. His neck and back hated him at the moment.

"The Governor is goin' to want us back as soon as possible. He didn't really want us to stay out overnight, but shit happens," Merle said from where he was in the kitchen, opening up the cans from Daryl's stash without asking first. Martinez denied a can when Merle offered him one, saying that he would wait until they returned to Woodbury to eat.

Daryl wasn't hungry. His stomach had been in knots since the night before.

Instead, he left Martinez and Merle in the house, packed up what little belongings he had, made sure Carol's letters were safely in his pocket and went out to put his pack in the bed of the truck.  _His_  truck. The bed was already half full of various types of supplies. There were cases of water, cans and boxes of food, and clothing. Also, scattered throughout, Daryl spotted a barrel of a rifle or the wooden handle of a knife. There were even a few grenades.

"Army surplus store." Daryl jumped when he heard Martinez answer his silent question. He hadn't even heard the man approach. He could have been a walker for all he had been paying attention.

"It was a small one. There's wasn't much left in it when we got there, but we took all there was." He picked up a long leather pouch and pulled out a long, very sharp knife.

"Why do you need all this if Woodbury is so secure?" Daryl asked and picked up a grenade. Knives and guns he could understand, but a grenade?

Martinez shrugged and tossed the knife, now back in its pouch, back with the other supplies. "To be prepared for anything, I guess. The Governor still has us go on watch, even though the walls have proven to be sturdy. I suppose one can never be too careful anymore, huh?"

Daryl agreed. Woodbury didn't seem all that bad, anymore. Even though, he would give it all up in a second if he could convince Merle to come with him to Rick and his group.

Merle burst through the door, then, a wide smile on his face as he approached them. "Well, are we ready to head back?" He stepped beside Daryl and clapped a large hand on his back. "I can't wait to introduce my baby brother to everyone."

* * *

The ride to Woodbury took over an hour. Martinez was behind the wheel and Daryl was crowded between him and Merle. Merle's head was leaning against the glass of the window and was snoring lightly.

"So, it was just you out there for two months?" Martinez asked, talking over the noises come from Merle.

"Yeah."

"And you were looking for Merle the  _whole_ time?" He asked in slight disbelief.

Daryl shrugged. "He's my brother and the only family I got left. Of course I looked for him."

"But didn't think you ever wonder that he could be dead and all that looking was for nothing?"

Truthfully, that thought has never crossed his mind. Merle was Merle and Daryl had known, during those two long months that he was still alive. "Nope."

"Wow." The other man looked impressed. "I wish I had a brother like you, then."

"Uh...thanks." Daryl didn't know what else to say to that. Merle definitely never mentioned being lucky for having a brother like Daryl and honestly, Daryl didn't think he ever would.

After that, the two men fell in silence and Daryl took to watching the scenery as they continued to drive. Where were Rick and Glenn right now? Had they made it back to the group safely? Had Rick given Carol back the letter? So many questions he wanted answered, but knew that they would probably never be. He was with Merle, now. They were going to Woodbury, a place that sounded safe. Permanent. A place he probably wouldn't be able to convince Merle to leave. Ever.

He was just about to turn to Martinez and ask him more about Woodbury, when he saw buildings up ahead. Woodbury. And like Merle had said, the place was surrounded by a wall and on top of the wall, stood two armed men.

"Merle." Daryl elbowed his brother as they came to a stop. "I think we're here."

One of the men on the wall shouted something behind him and a door opened in front of them. A tall man with a rifle strapped to his back came out. Martinez leaned close and whispered, "That's the Governor."

Daryl studied the man as he approached the truck. Martinez and Merle climbed out to meet him and the man beamed, especially when he was shown the supplies in the back. Daryl reluctantly climbed out the truck and went to stand by Merle. The Governor looked his way and the smile vanished. "Who is this?" He asked in a deep voice.

Merle wrapped an arm around Daryl's shoulders. "This is my baby brother, Daryl. Found him last night on the way back here."

"Oh. Were you on your own, then?"

The question was directed at Daryl but Merle answered, instead. "Yep. He's been lookin' for me these past two months and what do you know,  _I'm_  the one that finds him." Daryl wasn't sure if he liked the way the Governor was looking at him, but as long as he didn't pull a gun on him and threatened to shoot, he would have to deal with him.

"Well, then," the smile on the tall man's face returned and he spread his arms wide. "Welcome to Woodbury."

* * *

For three days, they stayed at the house. Carol didn't mind. It was cozy and they were actually allowed to breathe a little since they had a sturdy roof over their heads. On the second day, Carol had discovered a storm cellar behind the house. The door had been covered by plants and when she finally removed them and opened the wooden doors, she saw that the cellar was also walker free.

If there were ever to be a herd that came through without a warning, Carol knew that they would be able to hide in the darkness of the cellar. Hopefully the doors would hold. When Carol went down the concrete steps, she saw that the room was lined in metal shelving, but not much was left on them. There were some cans of green beans, beets and peaches. She filled her arms with as much as she could and brought it to the house. That night, they had a feast.

On the third day, Rick and Glenn came back from their scouting trip earlier than normal with smiles on their faces. They must have good news. Carol's heart beat faster and waited to hear what they had found. Maybe it was a mansion with a wrought iron fence all around and enough rooms so that everyone could have their own space. Maybe an apartment complex.

"T-Dog and I found a prison," Rick announced once everyone was gathered in the living room.

They all seemed to deflate at the announcement and Carol wondered if they had been thinking and hoping for the same things she had. "A prison?" Lori was the first to voice her concern. After all, she had a baby on the way and Carol could understand why a prison wouldn't be the first place she thought of raising the child.

"Yes," Rick answered. "A prison. I know it's not what you all had in mind, but it's perfect. The whole place is surrounded by a double layer of fence about fifteen feet high. There's guard towers we could keep watch in and if we clear out a cellblock, we'll be able to lock the door for the night. Nothing would be able to get in."

"The only problem is that there's a lot of walkers in the yard," T-Dog spoke up. "But it's nothing we can't handle. We  _need_  this place and I know I'm willing to fight for it."

Hope lit up in Carol's chest and she reached to squeeze Lori's hand. Living in a prison never crossed her mind, but she knew they would be safe there...or as safe as they could get these days. Especially since there were fences, towers and concrete walls. Maybe they would be allowed to have their own space, a luxury they hadn't had in a  _long_  time.

"I'm in," she said. "I'm willing to fight."

"Me too," Glenn added. Maggie repeated his words and soon everyone was willing to fight for the prison. Even Lori, who had seemed the most reluctant of everyone to call a prison their new home.

"It'll be a good place to have the baby," Beth said from the other side of Lori. Her big blue eyes, hopeful. The pregnant woman gave the teenager a small smile. It would be a good place to have the baby. A  _safe_  place with four concrete walls and a roof. Maybe walkers wouldn't hear the crying of an infant through them.

"It's settled, then," Rick said, a hint of a smile on his face. "We'll leave tomorrow morning. Everyone needs to get a good night's rest. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow, we'll be safe behind secure walls."

"I never thought I would ever try to break  _into_  a prison," Glenn muttered as they all stood up. Everyone laughed. They all seemed optimistic and Carol hoped, for all of their sakes, that nothing would go wrong.

* * *

"Welcome to your new home!" Merle declared and pushed Daryl into small room that only held a bed and a tiny bathroom off to the side. "The water even works," Merle said when he saw his brother looking at the bathroom. "The shower's cold, but sometimes, Phil lets Milton turn on the electricity so we can have hot water."

 _A hot shower?_  The last time he had one of those was before the world had gone to shit. Well, if he was being honest, that had also been the last time he had any kind of shower. The only ways he got clean, now, were if he found a creek to bath in or just used a wet towel and some soap when he couldn't find one.

"It's pretty nice, huh? My room is just across the hall." Merle hooked a thumb to the closed door behind him. "Most people have to share, but I talked to ol' Phil and he agreed to give you a room of your own."

"Uh, thanks." Daryl entered the room with his pack in one hand and his crossbow in the other, which was strange. Merle had said no one else had been able to keep any weapons on them, but the Governor had allowed Daryl to keep his bow. For some reason, this made Daryl suspicious.

"I'm goin' to help unload the supplies from the truck. Why don't you make yourself at home and then, we'll go and get some lunch."

"All right. Sounds good."

Merle shut the door as he left and Daryl was left alone in the room, which was a relief. He knew he should feel guilty for being glad his brother had left him alone. After all, he had spent two months without him.

Setting his pack on the bed, he opened it and took out the few pieces of clothing he had in the there. He might as well use the dresser he had. It didn't look like he would be living Woodbury any time soon. The next thing he did was take all of Carol's letters and place them in the top of drawer of the nightstand by his bed. There they would be safe. Hopefully.

* * *

The fight to rid the prison yard of walkers had been long and hard, but now, they were all safe behind the fences. As it grew dark, Hershel made a fire and everyone gathered around it for warmth, except for Carol and Rick. Carol stood on top of an overturned bus and kept an eye on the dark woods in front of the prison while Rick stalked the perimeter, looking for any weakness in the fence.

Carol's eyes dropped and her stomach rumbled. The smell of whatever canned food they were cooking drifted her way and her stomach protested its emptiness, again. Today had been a long day and she hadn't eaten since before they had made their way to for the prison. Taking one last glance at the darkness, she figured there wasn't much she could do if there couldn't  _see_. So, she carefully climbed down from the bus and made her way to the rest of the group, just as Beth and Maggie began to sing.

* * *

Daryl had been at Woodbury for two days and uneasiness had settled in his chest. The place seemed normal.  _Too_  normal for it being the middle of an apocalypse. Children ran around playing with one another, women gossiped on benches and men threw around a football. It was like he had stepped into Suburbia, which was like his own personal hell if he was being honest. Despite the world having ended, these people still looked at him as if he were trash. They didn't say anything of course, but Daryl noticed right away how their voices would lowered whenever he walked by.

Merle, however, was not submitted to the same treatment. People greeted him on the street with smiles and waves.

What the hell was that all about?

* * *

Their second day at the prison had not gone well. At all.

On a clearing out mission of the rest of the prison, Hershel had gotten bitten in the leg and Rick had to use an axe to amputate. As they were doing it, five inmates had watched in horror at the gruesome scene.

Rick and T-Dog dealt with the inmates, Carol and Lori did their best in stopping the blood coming from Hershel's stump while Maggie clutched a sobbing Beth to her chest. None of them knew what would happen to the man since he had been bit, but the offending appendage had been chopped off. Did that stilll mean he was infected? Just in case, they had handcuffed his hand to the bed.

And who would help deliver Lori's baby, now? Even if Hershel survived, would he even be well or strong enough to perform a C-section? Probably not. Which meant  _she_ had to be prepared. Turning to Lori, she made sure the woman was all right being with Hershel and his daughters for a few minutes and went up to Glenn, who had been hovering outside of the cell.

"Can you do me a favor?"

The young man nodded a quick yes and Carol told him what she wanted to do.

Several minutes later, Carol was bending over a dead female walker, knife poised above its abdomen. If Hershel couldn't do a C-section on Lori, then it was up to her and she wouldn't let her friend or her friend's baby down.

If only she knew what the future held for their little group.

That night, everyone except the Greene sisters and Glenn hovered in the large area outside of the cellblock and Rick explained what had happened to three of the inmates earlier that day. One, Big Tiny, had been scratched by a walker and Tomas had killed him. Brutally. Excessively. It wasn't that much later when Tomas received the same fate from Rick's machete. Andrew, who had been a friend of Tomas, had fled and Rick and locked him out of the prison and into the arms of several hungry walkers.

Axel and Oscar were the only survivors of their group and now resided in another cellblock Rick and T-Dog had cleared out for them.

A few days ago, Carol had been optimistic about the prison, knowing it would be a safe place for them to live and for Lori to have the baby, but now, she wasn't so sure.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

Life in Woodbury seemed easy.  _Too_  easy. Especially at the end of the world when one had to fight to survive from creatures that hungered for human flesh. However, the moment he walked inside the gated community, he was given a job, which didn't bother him. He'd rather keep busy than stay idle.

Every other day, he would go out with a few other men and hunt for meat. No longer did he do the job alone and quickly, he found out that he had much rather be alone. The more people there were, the more noise they made and that meant the less chance of them coming across any animal they could eat.

Some nights, he would take watch on one of the walls and if the walker build up got to be too much, he would take out as many as he could with his bow.

Daryl barely saw Merle.

In the short time Merle had been with these people, the Governor had taken a liking to his older brother and had made him his right hand man, along with Martinez and Shumpert. Most days, Merle would be out of Woodbury gathering supplies. Sometimes, the Governor would even join them.

Daryl didn't like the Governor.

There was something  _sinister_  about the man. He didn't know what it was, yet. The man seemed nice, but for some reason Daryl knew that it was all a facade. It was all in the man's eyes. They were cold. Dead. Daryl wanted to talk to Merle about it, but his brother seemed loyal to the Governor and Daryl wasn't sure how he would react to Daryl being suspicious of him.

Plus, he rarely saw Merle, anymore and when he did see him, their interactions seemed different. They weren't like how they had been when it had been just the two of them on the road. The people on Woodbury  _loved_  Merle. He was often seen hanging around town with groups of them.

Then, one day, Merle came back to Woodbury with two women. One was blonde, and passed out in the back of the truck, and the other had dreads and a scary looking sword strapped to her back. It wasn't until later, when the blonde woman had recovered a bit in the sick room, did Daryl learn their names. Andrea and Michonne.

_Andrea._

The name stuck with Daryl. It was one of the names Sophia had said back at the quarry. Of course, he knew that there had to be tons of Andreas out there, even with the apocalypse, and there was no way he could be that lucky, again. But he kept an eye on her, hoping that she would do or say something that would let Daryl know that this was the same Andrea from Carol's group.

Andrea, the blonde woman, had immediately caught the eye of the Governor and she returned the attention right back. They were often seen walking the streets of Woodbury, together. Michonne kept her distance from the two when they were together, but she never kept her eyes off them. Daryl could tell that she knew there wasn't something right about the Governor, too.

* * *

That morning, Carol had been laughing with Rick and T-Dog at the expense of Maggie and Glenn. T-Dog had yelled up to one of the watchtowers, the same one Maggie and Glenn had spent the night, and the young man had made an appearance, shirtless, and didn't look too happy at the disturbance. Maggie looked just as unamused. But they all needed to find the joy in the little things.

After they moved a few vehicles, they made their way back to the cellblock and the rest of the group. They were greeted with a sight that brought smiles to all of their faces.

Hershel was slowly crutching his way outside to the courtyard. Beth hovered nearby, in case her father needed any assistance. However, the old man was strong and even though his leg had only been amputated a few days before, he was up and about as if nothing had happened.

Lori had also made her way outside. She walked up to the chain link fence, eyes only on Rick. A small smile played on her lips and when Carol looked at Rick, he saw that he was smiling right back at his wife. Maybe, now that they were safe inside concrete walls and chain link fences, Rick and Lori would be able to mend their relationship. Especially with Lori's baby due any day.

But the happy scene was shattered when the screeching sound of the prison's alarm went off and walkers began to flood the yard.

At first, no one knew what to do. They were all so stunned. But as the walkers grew nearer, they all hopped into action.

Carol and T-Dog took off, hoping to shut one of the doors where the walkers were streaming through. Carol only had a small gun, but she didn't miss a shot as they ran. However, it hadn't been enough.

Out of nowhere, a walker attached himself to T-Dog's shoulder and ripped a chunk of flesh from it. Carol witnessed the bite and screamed out an anguished no. That wasn't supposed to happen. T-Dog was one of her dearest friends and now... Tears pricked her eyes and she quickly blinked them back before they blurred her vision. She couldn't get bit, too. She needed to get T-Dog somewhere safe. Somewhere where he could...die. Peacefully. With a bite in his shoulder, there was no way they could amputate it to help him.

Barely holding in her sobs, Carol wrapped an arm around T-Dog's waist and guided him into the prison. The wound on his shoulder was bleeding profusely and his shirt was stained red. Behind them, hungry walkers stumbled after them. Somehow, she had to find her way back to the cellblock. There was nothing Hershel could do for T-Dog, but he deserved to be around family when he...

A loud sob escaped her mouth before she could even think about holding it in.

"Carol..." T-Dog's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Yes?" She composed herself enough to answer.

"You need to let me go." Together, they stopped in the middle of a dim hallway. The sounds of the walkers behind them grew louder as they grew closer. "At this rate, they'll catch up to us. I'm good as dead, anyway."

"No," she sobbed. "You're coming with me. Please, T..."

T-Dog detangled himself from Carol and turned to face the walkers coming their way. "This way, at least one of us will get out of here alive, and you  _will_  get out of here, Carol. You're strong. One of the strongest people I've met. Don't you forget that.  _Ever._ "

"Please, Theodore." She reached for his arm, but he moved away from her.

"Go on, Carol." He gave her a sad smile. "Out of everyone in the group, I liked you best. Just don't tell Glenn, all right?" With one last wink, he turned to the walkers, ran and threw himself at them. Carol cried out as he did so, but couldn't watch her friend get torn apart, so she turned and fled down the hallway, not caring when her head wrap flew from her head.

"Goodbye, Theodore Douglas," she whispered. "You were a good man. One of the best I knew."

* * *

Michonne and Andrea had been in Woodbury for only a few days. Things were growing tense between them. Even someone not as observant as Daryl could tell that things between the two friends had become extremely rocky. Merle had told him, after spending a little time with Andrea (she was blonde and attractive, so of course Merle would want to speak with her), that Michonne wanted to leave Woodbury and Andrea did not.

Daryl didn't blame Michonne for wanting to leave. He wanted to, too, but he knew he could never leave his brother and Merle would never want to leave the place, especially since he was respected and liked there.

"The Governor is goin' to let her leave tomorrow mornin," Merle said. That night, they were actually eating a meal together. Normally, Merle would be out with his new pals or with the Governor, while Daryl took his meals in his room. He had no desire to get to know anyone in Woodbury.

Daryl's eyes narrowed. "Thought we were all free to leave whenever we wanted. I didn't know we had to have the Governor's permission." His appetite had fled the moment Phillip Blake was mentioned. Of course, no one called him that to his face, unless they were part of his 'inner circle', which included Merle, Martinez, Shumpert and a bookish man named Milton Mamet.

"Course you don't need his permission," the way Merle had said that made Daryl think he was lying. "It's just that she could have been an asset to have around here, with that fuckin' sword and all. He's sorry to see her go."

Daryl knew there was a reason why Michonne wanted to go and he was sure it was because of the Governor.

"What about Andrea? Will she be goin' too, then?" Daryl pushed the remaining food on his plate with a fork, debating if he should just dump the rest of it onto Merle's plate, knowing that his older brother wouldn't mind having the extra food.

"Her ass is stayin' right here in Woodbury. She's been here only a few days and she's already wound up in the Governor's bed." Was that jealousy in Merle's tone?

"Huh. So, she's choosin' him over a woman she's spent the last few months survivin' with?" That didn't sound right to him, at all.

"I guess. But she knows it's safe here and not out there. She's tired of runnin' and havin' to fight for her life all the time."

Daryl pushed his plate away, his appetite completely gone, now. "Haven't you ever stopped to think about  _why_  Michonne wants to leave this place so badly? Especially, since this place is so  _perfect_  and all." He knew he was treading on thin ice and was even made more aware of that fact when Merle's eyes narrowed.

"What are you tryin' to say, little brother?"

"Oh. Nothin'." Daryl leaned back in his chair, hoping that he was giving off a convincing uncaring attitude. "I was just curious why that woman would want to leave a place like this. That's all."

Merle didn't believe him, he could tell in the way his older brother was looking at him, but he didn't call Daryl out and that was fine by him. "I don't know why she wants to leave," he shrugged and went back to his food. "She's pretty stupid, then, if you ask me."

Daryl didn't agree,

"Oh. Blake wants me to go out on a little huntin' trip, tomorrow. You wanna come?"

Daryl wasn't due for another hunting trip for a few days and in all honesty, he just wanted to stay behind the walls of Woodbury until then. He liked that he didn't have to go out every morning to hunt just so they would have food. "Naw, I'm good. It seems like all I ever do is hunt, anymore, and I'm looking forward to a break."

"All right. That's fine. I probably won't be back until tomorrow night. Blake ain't goin' to want me back unless I kill somethin'."

* * *

"Mama?"

Carol started at the voice and opened her eyes, even though they felt like they were glued shut. The room she was in was pitch black and the speaker was no where to be seen.

"Mama. Please. You have to get up."

Something tugged on her arm. Carol lolled her head to the side, not having the strength to move it properly, and saw a flash of strawberry blonde hair.  _Sophia._

"Mama. You need to get up, so you can get out of here." There was more tugging on her arm and Sophia's voice sounded more urgent.

"Sophia, baby. I can't. I'm so tired. I just want to sleep." She leaned her head back against the concrete wall and allowed her eyes to slide closed.

"No!"

Carol's eyes shot open and she looked at the apparition of her daughter. Sophia's brown eyes were wide and full of tears. "Please, mama. If you close your eyes, you'll never wake up, again. I need you to make it back to the rest of the group. They need you and they miss you."

"No one will miss me, honey. Now, please. I'm tired. Let mommy get some sleep, okay?"

"Daryl will miss you!" Sophia shook her, then, and Carol felt like her brain was rattling in her head. "And Glenn and Rick and Carl."

"...Daryl? I don't know a Daryl, Sophia." But she knew  _of_  a Daryl. He had been the one to retrieve the letter to Sophia and made sure it got back to her. Was he the same Daryl Sophia was talking about, now?

A slow smile spread across her daughter's pretty face. "Oh, Mama. You haven't met a Daryl,  _yet._  One day you will and he's going to make you so happy. Now, come on. Get up." She was so adamant that Carol finally did as she was told, even though she felt so tired and weak.

It took all of her strength and some of Sophia's before Carol was firmly on her feet, again. Her legs felt like jelly and she leaned heavily against the door to the storage room she had hidden away in.

"Remember what Mr. T-Dog said. You're strong and you  _will_  get out of here." Something was being pressed into her hand and Carol looked to see that it was her knife. She barely had the strength to stand, she didn't know if she had the strength to fight off any walkers.

"Come on, Mama." Sophia tugged at her hand. "Open the door and I'll lead you back to the group, okay? There you will be able to rest."

"W-Will you be there with me, Sophia?" Carol knew the answer, but she just had to ask.

"You know I won't be. I'm in a better place, now. But don't worry, I'll always be with you and I am so proud of you."

"I-I'm glad."

Carol opened the door and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dim light of the hallway. Thankfully, no walkers were in sight. But she kept her knife clutched tightly in her right hand while Sophia pulled at the other and guided her to the rest of her group.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

The next morning, Daryl saw Merle off for his hunting trip just as Andrea had done with her friend, Michonne, only an hour before. Except Merle would be back, Michonne wouldn't. The blonde woman had tears in her eyes as she watched her friend leave, no doubt worried about her safety since she was on her own. Daryl, however, was not worried about his brother being outside of the walls. He knew he shouldn't be too confident about Merle's survival skills because things could go wrong. But only Merle could kill Merle. Well, that was what Daryl kept telling himself, anyway.

He wondered if Andrea had the same confidence in Michonne.

"Hopefully, I'll be back before dark," Merle said and latched a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "But there's no tellin' how elusive our prey will be today." Daryl wasn't sure what to make of the gleam in Merle's eye and the way his mouth quirked a bit at the corner.

"Be careful out there."

Merle scoffed and shoved him. "Only thing that can kill me is me. Don't I always tell you that, Darylina? Don't worry, I'll be fine." Without another word or glance at his younger brother, Merle joined the rest of his group and the four men walked out of Woodbury.

* * *

Carol almost stumbled to her knees when she finally reached cellblock C. All the strength seemed to leave her once she spotted the familiar row of cells. Sophia had taken her hand and led her back to the rest of her family, but was know nowhere in sight.

Carol felt tears prick her eyes as she mourned the loss of her daughter for a second time.

"Carol?"

She looked up from where she was leaning heavily against the concrete wall and spotted Beth, who had just walked out of a cell with a baby in her arms. Carol couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at the sight of the newborn with a head full of dark hair. Lori had given birth to a beautiful and healthy baby.

"Beth!" She cried, happy to see another familiar face and wished she could run to the girl, but couldn't find the strength to move her legs.

The young blonde noticed her weakened state and the bright smile on her face faded away as she approached. "You need to lie down, Carol," she instructed. "I'll get the rest of the group. We all thought you were dead." She turned to walk out of the cellblock and to the large room past the barred door. Carol felt herself slide to the floor. The cool concrete felt good on her flushed skin. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut. She'd let herself a few minutes rest and then, she would get up and get in a bed. Just a few minutes...

"Carol?" Someone was tapping her cheek, lightly, and the front of her shirt seemed damp. She cracked her eyes open and saw five sets of worried eyes looking down at her. Rick had been the one tapping her cheek and in his other hand, he held a tin cup of water.

"Carol? Come on, wake up."

She hadn't even known her eyes had drifted close once more. This time when she opened them, she vowed to keep them open.

"You're a bit dehydrated," Hershel said from behind everyone. "Rick tried to get some water in you, but it didn't work out so well. Do you think you could drink a bit, now?" Rick held out the cup and Carol took it, gratefully, realizing how parched she was.

"Drink it slow or you'll make yourself sick."

It was torture. She was so thirsty, but she did as Hershel instructed and took small sips of the cool water. When the cup was empty, Carl took it from her hand and walked off to refill it once more. Something seemed off about the boy, but Carol didn't have the strength to ask what was wrong.

"Can you stand?" Rick asked. He looked haunted too and Carol got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"I-I can try." She struggled to get to her feet and found that if she were to take a step, she would probably fall flat on her face.

"Okay, hold on. I got you." Rick braced an arm on her back and swept her legs up so that she was cradled in his arms. She felt as if she weighed nothing. Gently as he could, Rick walked into the nearest cell and placed Carol on the bottom bunk. The mattress was threadbare and she could feel the metal springs poking through, but she had never felt something so comfortable in her life.

"Here's some water," Carl murmured and held up the tin cup. Carol sat up slightly and reached for it.

"Thank you, Carl." The boy nodded and straightened up.

There was a small cry and Beth looked down at the bundle in her arms, a faint smile on her lips. "I think she's hungry."

"It's a she?" Carol asked. "Lori must be happy to finally have herself a daughter." At the mention of her friend, everyone's face fell and Rick and Carl refused to look at one another.

It didn't take long for Carol to decipher want those haunted looks meant. "No..." Tears, once again, gathered in Carol's eyes. First, T-Dog had died and now, her best friend.

"She...died giving birth to the baby," Rick said, quietly.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed and reached for Rick's hand. The former police officer gripped it and squeezed.

"Judith looks just like her," Beth chimed in. Rick winced and let go of Carol's hand. Beth moved closer to Carol and showed off the little baby.

"She does." Carol tried to give the girl a small smile, but it wouldn't come. Instead, she looked over to Carl. His hat was covering his face, so she couldn't see his expression. Carol could only imagine what the boy must be going through now that his mother was gone. Hershel placed a hand on his shoulder.

That was when Carol noticed they were missing other familiar faces. "Where are Glenn and Maggie?"  _Please God, don't tell me they were killed, as well._  She didn't think she could take any more loss in such a short time.

"They went out to find some more formula for the baby," Rick answered. "The day Lo-, the day you and T-Dog disappeared, Glenn went out and found some at a nearby daycare, but he wanted to go out and get some more. Maggie went with him. They left yesterday and should have been back by now."

"I'm worried about them," Beth said softly.

"Carl and I are going to keep a lookout for them in the tower. If they aren't back by tonight, I'm going out to look for them." The leader in Rick was speaking, but the grieving husband shone in his eyes. He wouldn't even look at the baby.

"How long was I gone?"

"Only two days," Hershel answered.

Just two days? It had felt like years.

"Beth," Hershel turned to his youngest. "Will you get Carol something to eat? I'm sure she's mighty hungry." Beth nodded and Carl stepped forward to take Judith in his arms. He still looked haunted, but when his baby sister was placed in his arms, he smiled.

"When Beth comes back and takes the baby, I want you to join me in the tower. All right, son?" Rick had yet to say the name of his daughter. Carl nodded and didn't look up from Judith's face. Carol knew he was going to take his job as big brother very seriously and she couldn't be prouder.

Rick looked at Carol. "I'm glad you're all right, Carol. We need you." He looked at Carl one last time with an unreadable expression and left the cell. It wasn't long after that when Beth returned with a few granola bars and another cup of water.

Beth took Judith and Carol began to eat slowly. "I'm sorry that there isn't more than that, Carol," Beth said and settled herself at the end of Carol's bed as she rocked Judith. "Glenn and...T-Dog were the ones who would try to hunt for food, but now..."

The two of them sat in silence for their fallen friend. Carol bowed her head and whispered a 'thanks' to T-Dog. If it weren't for him, she may have died in the tomb and no one would have ever known what had happened to her.

"I'm really worried about them, Carol," Beth's voice was so soft, she could barely hear it. "They were supposed to come back yesterday. I-I think something may have happened to them." Tears slid down the blonde's cheeks.

Carol sat up and reached for the girl. "I wish I could tell you that they will be fine, but no one knows that for sure. We just have to have faith that they'll come back to us." Beth nodded and smiled through her tears.

"You're right, Carol." She squeezed her hand and stood. "I'm going to go put Judy down for a nap. Did you need anything else?"

Carol was going to say no, but then she remembered something. "Maybe once you put Judith down, you could find me some paper and a pen?"

"When Rick and T-Dog cleared out the warden's office, they found some paper. It's in one of the cells. I'll get it for you."

"Thank you, honey."

Beth left the cell with Judith. Carol finished her meager meal and drank the last of the water, her throat feeling much better, before she lay down on the cot. Closing her eyes, sleep was finally allowed to come to her. When she woke up, she would have some letters to write.

* * *

When Merle returned, he was alone. Or so they thought...

Daryl had been waiting on top of the wall, along with the Governor, and had gnawed his nails down to the quick. Things had been tense, sitting with the Governor. The man had tried to engage Daryl in some small talk, but before the Turn Daryl hadn't been a great conversationalist and still wasn't a good one, now.

Blake noticed Daryl's habit and smiled. "You don't have to worry about your brother, son. If only one of those men come back, I would bet everything I had that it will be Merle."

"Merle's like a damn cockroach. Nothin' can kill him."

The Governor chuckled and went back to looking at the road. Daryl stopped chewing on his nails and began to fidget with his crossbow. It wasn't that he was nervous or anything, he just needed something to keep his hands busy.

Or that was what he kept telling himself.

At the same time, both their heads shot up when they heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. An old, red SUV came to a halt before the wall. Daryl stood and picked up his bow while Blake picked up a rifle that had been lying by his feet. They didn't know who was behind the wheel until Merle stuck his head out the window and waved.

"Hey, Phil! Come look at what I got!" From where Daryl stood, he could see there was dried blood on Merle's face. On the bridge of his nose was a cut and there was bruising under his eyes. Merle's nose was broken.

"You get what I want, Merle?" The Governor's voice was cool and with his tall frame, he looked frightening.

"No. It got away from me." The smile on Merle's face faded. "But I found some other things you might like. One of them is  _especially_  nice." Daryl wasn't sure if he liked the look on his brother's face, but moved to follow the Governor down the ladder so that they could properly greet Merle and see what he had brought back.

However, before Blake opened the door that would lead them out of Woodbury, he turned to Daryl. "Let me speak with your brother in private for a few moments, Daryl." He wasn't asking, he was telling.

"All right."

Blake walked through the door and made sure it was closed behind him. Daryl's suspicions only grew about the man. It was clear he was hiding something, something that involved his brother, but he didn't know what. Not yet, anyway.

Several minutes later, Merle poked his head through the door and saw Daryl. He smiled and made a motion with his arm. "Come on, baby brother. The Governor said I could let you in on this, too."

Daryl was even more confused as he followed his brother out. The Governor was leaning against the side of the SUV and looking at something that was inside. A smile was spread across his face and Daryl shuddered at the sight of it. The smile wasn't a kind one.

It wasn't something Blake was smiling at, it was  _someones_. Daryl could make out the shape of two heads in the backseat. Daryl looked at his brother, brow furrowed.

"Found these two wonderin' the Georgia country side. Figured I would be kind enough to bring them to Woodbury!"

Daryl went up to one of the windows and cupped his hands on the glass so he could peer inside the vehicle. What he saw nearly had him jumping from the SUV in shock.

He had looked right into the wide, angry eyes of Glenn.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

Daryl didn't know how to react. But he couldn't let Merle and the Governor know that he knew who Glenn was. The young man moved to open his mouth, maybe to say his name, but Daryl slightly shook his head, telling him that he couldn't say a word. He just hoped that Glenn trusted him and didn't think he was really working with Blake because Daryl was sure that Glenn and the young woman with him hadn't gone with Merle willingly. There was no way. Plus, he could see that their hands were tied in front of them, out of sight if one wasn't looking right in the windows.

He turned his back on them and looked to Merle, who was quietly speaking with Blake off to the side. "Where did you find them, Merle?" He asked, wanting some answers. If he found them close by, maybe that meant Carol was near and... No, it wasn't the time to think of her. Not now. Later. When he was in the comfort of his room. Alone.

Merle leaned an elbow on the hood of the car. "Why? You know them?"

"No!" Cursing silently, he hoped he hadn't answered too quickly. "I was just wonderin' because I've been all over this damn state and haven't seen another living human being until you and Martinez showed up."

"Found them out while I was huntin' with the others. They pulled guns on us before we could even open our mouths. They killed all of them 'cept me."

It was all a lie and one that didn't make sense, either. But Daryl had to act as if he believed his brother. For Glenn's sake. "Fuck. Really? Then, why the hell didn't you kill them and why did you bring them here? This ain't a place for murderers." Daryl turned to Glenn and spat on the ground by the door. His eyes, however, showed anything but anger. He exchanged a quick look with Glenn before turning back to the Governor and Merle.

"We need to question them. There's more of them fuckers out there and we need to weed them out before they kill any more of us," Merle continued.

Daryl crossed his arms. "How did you manage not to get killed?" That was part of Merle's lie that hadn't made sense. If Glenn and his companion had killed three of his men without much of a fight, how had Merle been able to capture  _both_  of them without getting killed in the process?

"Luckily, I was able to grab the woman before Jackie Chan could shoot me full of lead. However, the girl didn't take too kindly to bein' nabbed, though."

"Explains the broken nose, huh?" Daryl forced out a snicker, knowing that would be how Merle would expect him to react to such information. Looking through the windows, again, Daryl directed his next words to the prisoners. "Y'all are lucky you didn't kill my brother, cuz if you did, I would have gone after you and I wouldn't have stopped until you both were dead." It was hard not to wince at the harsh words. Especially when the woman looked at him in fear. Glenn was studying him, though. Daryl hoped that the young man knew he had been lying and everything he was doing was all for show.

"See?" Merle nudged Blake, who frowned at the gesture. "We should have him join us. He could help us get information."

Blake looked over Daryl with his cold, blue eyes and studied him a moment before turning to Merle. Daryl resisted the urge to shiver under the intense gaze. The man gave him the creeps.

"The less people who know about this, the better. It's too delicate of a situation to let someone who is new to our ways in."

Relief coursed through Daryl. He wanted to get Glenn out of there and not be forced to 'question' him. There was no way in hell he would be able to do that and live with himself afterwards. Daryl wasn't stupid. He knew  _exactly_  what Merle and Blake had meant by questioning. He wished there was a way he could warn Glenn without giving himself away, but he knew the young man would figure out what was going on soon enough. Unfortunately.

Merle walked around the car and slapped Daryl on the back. "Next time, then, baby brother."

 _Next time?_  How often did they do shit like this? He knew there had been something off with Woodbury and the man who called himself the Governor.

"Got it," he nodded. "I'll be lookin' forward to it. Especially if it involves people like them." He gestured to the back of the car with a jerk of his chin. The woman looked frightened, still, but her jaw was set in determination and Glenn had kept his angry mask in place as he looked directly at Daryl. Well, Daryl hoped it was a mask and not how he really felt towards him.

 _"Don't worry,_ " he wanted to say.  _"I'll get you out."_  Word like that would have probably gotten him killed on the spot. It wouldn't matter if he was Merle Dixon's little brother.

"Let's go, Merle. I want to get this over with," The Governor had the driver's side open and was looking at the oldest Dixon, impatiently. "If everything goes well with them, I have some plans for later tonight." A cruel smile spread across his face and Daryl had to suppress the second shiver of the day.

"Got it. Later, bro." Merle hopped into the passenger's side and left Daryl standing there. He watched them go; taking note that they didn't back up and go in the direction Merle had come from. Instead, they took a side road that went around Woodbury.

There was no way Daryl would know exactly where they went, though. Not when they were in a car. So, instead, he sighed and walked back into Woodbury. He had some planning to do.

* * *

Carol woke a few hours later, feeling tons better. No one was in her cell and from somewhere in the cellblock, she could hear Beth singing a lullaby to Judith. Climbing from her bed, slowly so she wouldn't risk getting dizzy, she left her cell on much more steady of legs than she had entered the cell earlier that day.

Beth was sitting on the metal steps that lead to the second floor with Judith cradled in her arms on the verge of sleep. Hershel stood not far and looked down at his daughter with a fond smile on his face. The redheaded convict named Axel was leaning against one of the concrete walls.

"Carol, I'm glad you're up." Hershel crutched her way, a warm smile on his bearded face. "How are you feeling? Much better, I hope."

"I feel almost normal. If there's such a thing as normal, anymore." She laughed, softly and the older man chuckled with her. But the mirth died when Carol noticed that not everyone was in the cellblock.

"Have Glenn and Mag-" Hershel shook his head, sadly. Carol placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Maggie's strong and Glenn wouldn't let anything happen to her. Of course, I'm still worried, but I have faith they will return to us. They just need to do it soon."

"Maybe they're just holed up somewhere," Carol said, hoping that it would help ease some of Hershel's fear.

"That could be it."

At that moment, their conversation was cut short when there was a loud commotion coming from the common room. Rick appeared at the barred doors with a hard look on his face. His eyes went straight to Hershel. "We found someone at the fences. She needs some medical attention."

"Duty calls," Hershel sighed and crutched his way to the door. Axel held the door open for the man and when Carol followed her friend, Axel gave her a once over and smiled. However, it was a creepy smile and it suggested he wanted to know Carol more. Of course, she wasn't interested, but she was glad he wasn't turning his attention to the young Beth.

When they walked into the common room, the first thing they noticed was a woman lying down on one of the metal tables. She was pretty and had a head full of dreadlocks held back with a colored headband. On her leg, there was a gash that was bleeding freely and on another table, not far laid a sword. Carl sat near the weapon almost as if he was guarding it.

"She was at the fence with a basket full of baby supplies," Rick said to the small group and stepped out of Hershel's way. The woman didn't say anything about the accusing tone in Rick's voice. Instead, she kept her dark eyes fixed on him even as Hershel began to stitch up the wound on her leg.

Carol looked at the basket of baby formula sitting by Rick's feet and looked at the mysterious woman. "Do you have a baby of your own?"

"No," she answered. "But you all do." Her eyes went to Judith still in Beth's arms.

"Yes, we do. But how did you know that before seeing her for yourself?'

The woman hesitated, seeming to want to give too much away. "While I was out on the road, I came across two people. A man and a woman."

"Glenn and Maggie!" Beth exclaimed. "You saw Glenn and Maggie! Were they okay? Why haven't they come back, yet? We're worried about them!"

"Hush, child," Hershel shushed his youngest. "She'll tell us in due time." He turned back to the woman. "Can you describe them to us?"

"It was your Glenn and Maggie. I didn't approach them, but I heard them call one another by those names." She winced, letting her stone facade down for a second when Hershel stitched a particularly tender spot.

"What were they doing?" Rick asked. "And why didn't you go up to them? What were you trying to gain by spying on them?"

"They were gathering supplies. Baby supplies." The same baby supplies she had shown up at the fence with. Beth gasped. "They seemed like good people and I was going to approach them, but a man beat me to it." Her face-hardened even more, if that was possible. "He took them."

"Took them  _where?_ " Rick leaned close.

She stared right back at him. "A place called Woodbury. It's run by a man who calls himself the Governor. When I left, he sent four men out to kill me."

"Why?"

"There's something not right about that place. I wanted to leave and the Governor didn't like that very much. So, he let me go, but sent men out to kill me. As far as I know, Merle is the only man left still alive from that group and he's considered the Governor's right hand man."

"I'm all done," Hershel announced and snipped the thread before standing.

"Do you think you can take me there? To Woodbury? They have our people and I'm going to get them back."

"I can. But the place is well guarded. One man will be no match for all of them."

"It won't just be me," Rick said. "You'll be coming with. We won't have to fight if we can find a way to sneak in."

The woman went silent for a moment, in thought. Before she could open her mouth, carol stepped forward. "I'll go with you, too, Rick. You'll need more people."

"You just came out of the tombs after two days, Carol. I don't know if you're strong enough, yet," Hershel said.

"I can. Glenn and Maggie are family and I'm willing to get them back. I'll be strong enough."

Rick nodded. "All right, Carol. I believe you." He turned back to the woman. "So, you will go to Woodbury with us?"

"Yes," was her quick answer.

" _Why?_ "

"I have someone there that I would like to get out, as well."

"Are they being kept there as prisoners like Glenn and Maggie?" Beth piped up.

"No. But she might as well be."

"Then, it's settled. We leave at dusk. That should give you enough time to rest that leg." He turned on his heel without another word and left the room. Carl followed. Carol approached the woman, again.

"What's your name?" She asked.

The woman studied her for a moment. "Michonne."

Carol held out a hand. "I'm Carol. Thank you for telling us what happened to our people."

* * *

Daryl paced in his room and had only one thing on his mind. To get Glenn and the woman with him out of Woodbury and away from the clearly psychotic Governor. But he didn't know how to do that if he didn't know exactly where they were being held?

Turning to the window, he saw that the sun was sinking lower in the sky and he wondered if Merle would return with bloody knuckles.

An hour later, Daryl was lying in bed with his arms propped behind his head, when the door to his room opened and Merle stepped in without even waiting to be invited. Daryl immediately hated the smug smile on his brother's face and resented the cuts on his knuckles.

"We got the information we wanted," he said and sat on the end of Daryl's bed. "Nearly killed the Asian kid, but he wouldn't utter a word. The woman, though, was the one who spilled. I don't know what the Governor did to get her to talk, but it worked."

Bile rose in Daryl's throat. There were many things the Governor could have done to the young woman, but knowing the man, Daryl knew it had been something humiliating for her. But he couldn't act like he cared. "Good. Now, what are you goin' to do with them, now?"

"For now, they're still in the building out back." At Daryl's confused look, Merle explained, "We took to a building on the outskirts of Woodbury. It's out of the way and none of the citizens go near it. Its where we question all the prisoner's we get."

So, they were still in Woodbury! There was still hope to get them out. Daryl tried hard not to show his excitement.

"Phil is goin' to makin' an announcement soon, but you ain't gotta be there because I'm goin' to tell you what's goin' on. He plans on havin' them fight in the arena. Well, the Chinese kid, at least, and once everyone knows what they did, they'll be screamin' for their heads." Something in Merle's flickered. Something like...regret. That was new.

"Why not just let them go?"

"You know why. They'll go back to their people and we'll have a war on our hands. The Governor doesn't want that. He has a town of people to think of and most of them don't know how to properly use a weapon."

Daryl knew that Blake didn't give two shits about this town. All he cared about was power and the people of Woodbury gave him just that. However, it looked like he was no longer satisfied with even that, anymore.

If Glenn and the woman were sent into the arena, they wouldn't be coming out alive. Daryl had the misfortune of watching a match before. One that had involved Merle. Everyone loved watching them and it made him sick. Most of the fights weren't deadly, just two men hashing it out, but other times walkers were brought in. Merle had said that one time I man had gotten bitten on the arm and someone cut off his arm right there in front of everyone.

The one match Daryl had witnessed had Merle in the ring. First, he had gone against some men and once that fight was over and Merle had been victorious, the walkers came out. Merle had also won that fight, as well, but Daryl nearly had a heart attack.

Andrea had been at that fight, as well, and she hadn't looked the least bit pleased.

Merle stood from the bed and stretched. "I'm goin' to rest a bit before the fight, tonight. Wake me up in an hour, well you?" Daryl agreed and watched his brother leave the room.

He had an hour to get Glenn out of there.

* * *

An hour before sunset, Rick, Carol, Michonne and Oscar packed up the green Hyundai with the weapons they would use, some food and medical supplies because they didn't know the condition Glenn and Maggie would be in when they rescued them from Woodbury.

Rick went and spoke with Carl. The young boy and Hershel were the only two that would be left behind that would be capable of using a weapon. Beth would be busy caring for Judith and they didn't fully trust Axel, yet. Rick had even wanted him to get locked up in his old cellblock, but Hershel had spoken for the man and told the former deputy that Axel would be more help if he stayed with them.

Carol went up to Beth and bent to kiss the baby on her head. Straightening, she offered the teenager a soft smile. "I know you'll take good care of her while we're gone."

"Do you have to go, Carol? Rick said it would be dangerous and you're still recovering."

"I'll be fine, honey. Besides, I know Glenn and Maggie would do the same for me if I were put in their situation." She placed a hand on Beth's shoulder and squeezed. "Have faith and we'll be back before you know it."

"I hope so."

Carol talked with Hershel and Carl a bit before climbing into the Hyundai. Rick slid behind the wheel and Michonne took the passenger's seat, leaving Oscar to sit by Carol. She didn't mind. He seemed like a decent man and he smiled at her once he strapped himself into the seat.

"Everyone ready?" Rick turned in his seat and looked at each of them. After giving everyone's affirmation, he started the car and they were off.

* * *

Daryl knew of the building they were holding Glenn and Maggie. Nights when he couldn't sleep, he would walk the streets of Woodbury. No one would be out, since they didn't like to be out in the dark, but Daryl didn't mind. The few lanterns lead his way and one night, he had found himself on the outskirts of Woodbury and a rundown building had drawn his attention. All of the buildings inside the town looked new, but this one hadn't.

It hadn't been guarded, then, and he hoped it wasn't guarded, now.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, he saw that he had forty-five minutes to get them out, which meant he needed to leave his room. Now. He wished he could take his crossbow, but that would have drawn suspicion from anyone he ran across on the street. The people of Woodbury already looked at him like he was some kind of monster.

They didn't know who the real monster of Woodbury was.

* * *

They parked about a mile away from Woodbury and Michonne led them in the semi-darkness. Once the walls of the town came into view, they made sure to duck behind trees so they wouldn't be seen by the guards on the wall, which there was only one.

"On the side, they have windows that lead into some of the houses. They're locked, but if the place is empty we can smash the glass in," Michonne whispered to Rick, who agreed to the plan with a sharp nod of his head.

As silent as possible, they followed Michonne through the trees and to the side of Woodbury. Fortunately, and oddly, this side wasn't being guard by anyone. With the handle of his Colt, Rick smashed the glass in and one by one, they climbed through.

* * *

Daryl kept to the shadows as he walked down the dim streets of Woodbury. No one was about. Not yet. In a half hour, every citizen would be making their way to the arena to watch a death match and if everything went as planned, they would be sorely disappointed because the two participants in the fight would be long gone.

A faint crash to his right had Daryl stopping in front of one of the buildings. It was one that was used for storage and he knew that no one would be there at this time. Especially since, he couldn't see in lights streaming through the windows.

The door was unlocked and he stepped inside. "Hello," he called. "Is anyone in here?"

The next thing he knew, someone was tackling to the ground and his face was being pressed into the concrete floor. On his back, he felt something sharp digging in. Boots came into his view and the owner of the boots kneeled down so Daryl could see him. There was nothing that could have prepared Daryl for who he saw.

"Rick?"

"Daryl?" There was a pause and Rick looked up at the man who tackled Daryl to the ground. "Let him up, Oscar. But don't let him go," he ordered.

The sharp object at his back disappeared and Daryl was lifted to his feet. Rick stood in front of him, hands on his hips. "What the hell are you doing here, Daryl?"

"My brother's here."

"So, you found him, then?"

"He tried to kill me." Michonne stepped into Daryl's sight, her katana out. That had been the sharp point on his back.

"What?" Of course, he hadn't believed the story that Merle had told him earlier about Glenn and Maggie, but he hadn't thought that Merle had been set out to kill Michonne.

"The Governor sent him and a few others out to kill me. He didn't like that I was leaving his little paradise."

"Uh, I get that this is an important discussion and all," a deep voice rumbled behind him. "But should we get a move on before more people find us?"

"You're right. Daryl, you're coming with us. Unfortunately, we can't let you go. Oscar?"

"Got it." The hold on him tightened and Daryl winced.

"Wait, before we go," a fourth voice spoke up and it was with this voice that everything in Daryl stopped. His breathing, his mind and his heart.

Another woman stepped into Daryl's view. "Did Rick say your name was Daryl?"

Carol.

* * *

**I know things are happening really fast in this story, probably faster than they did in the show, but that's just how I'm going to write it. I hope that's all right with you! :)**

**Unfortunately, the next chapter won't be updated for a little while. I still have a chapter for Lost to write and I'm also working on a new story! ;). Plus, school has gotten pretty crazy and will only get worse, so my time for writing is very unlimited. Unfortunately.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

"You know my brother."

Glenn sat almost impossible straight in the wooden chair Merle Dixon had duct taped him to and didn't say a thing. No words had left his mouth since the moment Merle had ambushed them at the strip mall earlier that day. He didn't even cry out when Merle's fists made contact with his face over and over. He was resilient and wasn't about to let any of these people know about their group back at the prison. They were his family and he wouldn't allow anything to happen to them.

"Still not goin' to talk me to, huh?" Merle shrugged and walked closer to Glenn, the knife he had been playing with dragged across the metal of the table Glenn was sitting at. The noise was worse than nails down a chalkboard and Glenn resisted the urge to flinch.

The knife tip went to Glenn's throat and Merle stopped in front of him. "I could kill you. Easily. But...I ain't." The sharp point disappeared from Glenn's pulse point.

"Why not?" Glenn blurted through swollen and bloody lips. He had gotten use to the metallic taste of his own blood awhile ago.

"Cuz, Jackie Chan, my baby brother has been actin' strange for awhile, now, and I want you to tell me why."

"I barely know him. We met one time."

"Hmm." Merle didn't seem deterred. Leaning his hip against the table, he rubbed his chin. "Does the name Sophia mean anythin' to you?" Glenn took a sharp breath and his eyes widened. Merle got his answer with the reaction.

"Who is she?"

Glenn didn't see any harm to tell Merle about Sophia, but it would hurt to bring it up. "She was a little girl. About twelve or so. One day, while we were out on the highway, a herd of walkers came through and Sophia, thinking they were all gone, came out of her hiding spot and was unfortunately spotted by two of them. She ran into the woods and got lost." Though it had been months since the incident, Glenn felt his throat clog up. "We sent out search parties and weren't able to find her. At this time, we were at a farm. It turns out...Sophia had been in the barn the whole time. As a walker."

Merle cringed at the retelling. "A few months ago, Daryl and I came across a car with a message to a Sophia on the windshield. After reading it, Daryl seemed hell bent on lookin' for her. Why?"

"I don't know. Sophia and Daryl never met. The first and only time I met your brother was a few weeks ago. He was staying in a house that our group had stayed in for a little bit of time before. He let us have some of his supplies."

"Hmm." Merle rubbed his chin and took a seat on top of the metal table. He turned to Glenn, once more, and opened his mouth to speak, but a knock on the door interrupted him. With a sigh, he heaved himself to his feet and opened the door.

Glenn strained to hear what was being said, desperate to hear any news of Maggie. He struggled against the bonds on his wrists and ankles, but they didn't budge.

"All right, Phil. You got it."

Glenn looked up to see Merle close the door and turn to him with an unreadable face. Glenn had no idea what that meant and for the first time since he had been dragged into the room, he felt scared.

"Looks like the Governor got everything' he wanted from your girlfriend. You're not needed, anymore. His exact words: 'He's useless. Get rid of him.', and here I thought he would send you to the arena." Merle shrugged and walked closer to Glenn, the knife in his hand caught the light and shone in his eyes. "When the boss tells me to do somethin', I do it. Sorry, kid. I got to get rid of you."

Glenn wished he could open his mouth to try to appeal to Merle, but his lips wouldn't move. He could only watch Merle approach with a knife in hand. This was it. He was going to die. Oh God, what about Maggie?

Merle stopped in front of Glenn, who closed his eyes in anticipation of the blow that would surely kill him, but nothing came. Instead, he opened his eyes to see Merle kneeling on the ground, tugging at the tape on his right ankle. He didn't take it off completely, but it was much looser. He did the same with his wrist and when he stood up, the knife in his hand clattered to the floor. "Oops." However, he didn't move to pick it up.

Glenn stared at him, oddly and confused. What was he doing? Merle straightened and grabbed the cloth around Glenn's neck that had been used as a gag and stuffed it into his mouth without a word.

"You had your chance, buddy," he said, loudly and backed away from Glenn. "But you ain't any use to us and now, you've got to go." Merle reached the door, opened it and slipped out. Glenn was even more confused. If that was possible.

Seconds later, Merle returned with a walker. "It was nice knowin' you, Chinaman." He let the walker loose in the room and then, slammed the door shut.

* * *

Merle heard the growls of the walker in the other room through the door and prayed that the young man was able to get lose enough to grab the knife. From the moment Daryl had seen who was in the back of the SUV; Merle had known that Daryl had known them. Even when Merle had told his little brother the story of the couple trying to kill him, he could see it in Daryl's eyes that he hadn't believed him.

Something in Merle twisted. While he had been gone those few months, had Daryl met up with these people? Had they saved his life? Is that why Daryl felt like he had an obligation to them? Merle could see the gears whirling in Daryl's head and knew that he was trying to think of ways to get them out of Woodbury.

Well, Merle had done all he could for the Asian man and hoped that the Governor hadn't done anything too terrible to the girl.

* * *

Carol stepped around Michonne so she could stand in front of the man. "Did Rick say your name was Daryl?" She looked the man over. This was the same man who had found Sophia's letter on her grave and had given it back.

_"Oh, Mama. You haven't met a Daryl, yet. One day you will and he's going to make you so happy..."_

Could this be the same Daryl Sophia had spoken to her about? And if it was, what did that mean for her?

The man looked at her, eyes growing wide. "Uh. Y-Yeah. My name's Daryl."

Carol didn't know if she should feel uncomfortable under his gaze or not. He was looking at her as if she were something ethereal and beautiful. Carol knew she wasn't that special in the looks department, especially with Michonne only a few feet away.

 _"One day you will and he's going to make you_ so _happy..."_

Carol didn't like it, but she waved away Sophia's voice, if only for a moment so she could think straight. "You've met Rick...before?"

"Yeah," he said, looking slightly confused and glanced quickly over at Rick, who was watching the exchange with interest. "A few weeks ago. Didn't he give you a lett-?"

"Sorry to interrupt," said Michonne, who didn't look sorry at all. "But we're on a tight schedule here. We can chat when we're out of this damn place." Truthfully, Carol thought the woman would have left them all behind by now.

"Michonne's right," Rick said, stepping forward. "We need to get Glenn and get the hell out of here."

"You're gettin' him out?" Daryl's focus was turned to their leader and a part of Carol longed for when that blue gaze would be on her, again.

"Yes," Rick answered with a sharp nod of his head. "You goin' to stop us?"

"No!" Daryl looked appalled at the suggestion. "But I know where he is. I can take you there. But I need to get my bow, first, though. The place could be guarded and it'll be silent."

"How long will it take you to get it?"

"I can be there and back in fifteen minutes if I leave now." He turned to do so, but Rick grabbed fast to his arm. Daryl winced away hard from the touch and for a second Carol saw fear flash in his eyes for a moment.

"Sorry, Daryl. I can't have you go back on your own."

"I'll go with him." Carol didn't even know she had opened her mouth to speak until the words tumbled from her mouth. Both Rick and Daryl turned to face her and she tried hard to force down the instinct to cower from speaking aloud. Rick looked shocked while Daryl looked... _pleased._

"Are you sure? Carol, he might try to hu-"

"If he tries anything, I'll be able to take care of myself."

Daryl looked ready to vomit. "Carol, I'd  _never_  hurt you." There was such pleading in his voice and she didn't know what to think about the devotion- the devotion to  _her_ \- in his eyes. From the looks of it, Daryl would rather die than lay a harmful hand on her.

Where had this man come from and why did he care so much about her though they had never met?

"You get only fifteen minutes," Rick's eyes were blue steel as he looked at Daryl. "If you're not back by then, we leave without you and if we see you,  _without_  Carol, I will kill you." Daryl nodded in understanding and didn't look fearful.

"We'll be back, and I won't hurt her. I promise."

* * *

Together, they walked as swiftly as they could down the streets of Woodbury. They didn't want to walk too fast to arouse suspicion, but they were on a tight schedule. Daryl made sure to keep Carol to his right and close to the brick of the buildings to keep her more hidden from any citizen that would be out on the dim streets.

Daryl still couldn't believe that Carol was  _here_  with him and walking so close that their hands brushed. He wanted to speak,  _needed_  to speak, but no words were able to get past the lump in his throat.

"Daryl?" The softness of her voice made Daryl feel warm inside and he wanted her to speak more.

"Yes?'

"You  _are_  the same Daryl that gave Rick that letter, right?"

_Sophia's letter._

"I am."

"Thank you for giving it back to me. I-I didn't know I needed it until Rick gave it to me."

"Y-You're welcome."

"How did you know to give it to Rick?" She looked up at him, then, her large blue eyes staring at him intently.

"Uh..." He cleared his throat, forcing the lump away. "It's a long story." A story he didn't know if he should tell Carol or not. He didn't know how she would react if she were to know he had watched her and Sophia back at the quarry.

"We have some time. I'd really like to know."

Right then, Daryl knew he wouldn't be able to deny Carol anything because he was about to tell her  _everything_. However, the moment he opened his mouth, his eyes caught something just down the street from them. A bobbing light of an approaching flashlight, which meant someone was coming towards them.

Without thinking, Daryl pulled Carol into a nearby alley and pressed her against the brick wall. His breath was coming fast and the light was coming closer. He looked down at Carol, her eyes wide and breath coming out just as fast.

"Daryl?" Someone called his name. "Is that you?"

 _Caught_.

Daryl didn't know what else to do, so he cupped Carol's cheeks and kissed her.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

Daryl desperately wanted to deepen the kiss. He wanted to feel Carol melt in his arms and return it, but this wasn't a real kiss. Real kiss or not, Daryl was going to savor the feeling of her mouth on his and even ignored the sharp sting in his side as he kept his mouth pressed to hers.

"Daryl, was that you I just s-?" Light flashed on Daryl's face for a split second before it quickly skittered away. "Oh! Uh. I'm s-so sorry!"

Daryl reluctantly took a step back from Carol and looked to who had spoken. The man still held the flashlight in his hand, but it was facing the ground. However, there was enough light Daryl could see his face and saw that it had been Milton that had caught him. "What do you want?" He asked, gruffly and stepped slightly in front of the Carol, blocking Milton's view of her. The pain in his side went away.

"U-Uh, I was looking for you. The Governor wants you to tell Merle that the fight will be starting soon." The bookish man fidgeted in place, he didn't like the fights, at all. "I would tell him myself, but Merle threatened me bodily harm if I ever disturbed him when his door was shut and locked."

"I'll tell him," Daryl said, shortly. He didn't like treating Milton this way since he actually liked but him, but he was on a tight schedule and there was an intruder in Woodbury right behind him.

"T-Thanks. And sorry, again, for interrupting your time with your...lady friend." Quickly, Milton turned on his heels and walked back the way he had come. Daryl nearly sagged in relief.

It wasn't until he stepped away from Carol completely did he see the glint of metal in her right hand. He had pulled a knife on him! That must have been the sharp pain in his side. Daryl hadn't even known that Carol had a knife on her person and was surprised at how quickly she had pulled it out on him. He was proud and a bit...disheartened that she had been ready to kill him. But, he was still a stranger to her, after all.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, wishing he could see Carol's face more clearly. He did see her, though; slip the knife back in the sheath by her hip. "If I had seen him sooner, I would have warned you before draggin' you into an alley. You would have had every right to kill me, then."

"It's all right, Daryl." Her voice came out soft and breathless? Or was that just his wishful thinking.

After checking the sidewalks, Daryl and Carol stepped out of the alleyway and began to walk in the direction of Daryl's apartment.

"Daryl, you're bleeding!" Carol stopped in her tracks and Daryl quickly followed suit. Glancing down, he saw there was a spot of blood seeping through his shirt, right where Carol had been holding the knife.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to actually  _stab you_ with it."

"It's all right. It doesn't hurt and you were only protecting yourself." She could have sunk the whole blade in his gut and he wouldn't have blamed her for it.

They started to move once more.

"Who was that?" Carol broke the silence, again.

"His name is Milton. He's a good guy and pretty oblivious to things that don't involve science and his experiments. He's the only person I like here." Carol fell into step next to him, instead of staying slightly behind him, and her hand brushed his occasionally.

As they walked, Daryl couldn't get the feel of Carol's body pressed against his and the taste of her mouth of his head.

* * *

Luckily, they were able to reach Daryl's room without anyone else spotting them and with no Merle in sight, which was an even bigger relief. He had been able to hide Carol from Milton, but Merle was much more observant and would have caught them in seconds.

Opening the door to the room, he took a quick look around to make sure no one was waiting inside for him. When he saw there was no one, he motioned for Carol to come in before closing and locking the door behind them.

"You have a nice little place here," Carol observed as she looked around the room. "You even have a real bed!" She went over and sank down on the soft mattress, smiling as she bounced a little. Daryl couldn't take his eyes off of her face and the smile. At the quarry, she had smiled at Sophia, but she had a haunted, beaten down look in her eye as she did. Now, she still looked slightly haunted, but there was also genuine mirth in her eyes.

"I suppose," he finally said, reaching for his crossbow and slinging it over his shoulder. Next, he grabbed his bag and began to stuff all of his belongings inside. If everything went as plan, and they got Glenn and the woman out, he would not be returning to this room. Merle would still be there, and he wished there was someway he could convince his brother to leave Woodbury, but he knew he wouldn't.

When Carol saw that he was ready to go, she stood from the bed. "Are you going to speak with your brother before you leave?"

"No. I-I... he'll know what happened to me once we get out of here. He knew I didn't like being in Woodbury."

"Would he come looking for you? He's your brother, after all. I can't imagine he would want to be separated from you for very long."

"When we were separated for a few months, he didn't look for me. Why would he look me, now?" His tone was bitter and hurt, even though he had tried his hardest to conceal it. Carol's eyes softened and she looked ready to reach out for him. He would have gladly welcomed her touch, but she must have realized what she was doing and kept her hands firmly at her sides.

"Maybe you could write him a letter."

 _Like you do with the dead_ , he wanted to say, but couldn't let her know his secret. Not yet, anyway. "I could do that," he said, instead. "At least I could let him know that I'll be all right wherever I'll be. Do you have paper?" He didn't realize how dumb the question sounded until it left his mouth. She was on a rescue mission, of course she wouldn't be carrying around a piece of pa-

"Here you go."

Carol handed him a white sheet of paper that had been folded several times so that it would fit in her back pocket. He wondered if she had put it there in case another letter was meant to be written.

"Thank you." He took the paper and walked over to the night table beside the bed to where a pen was lying. Staring down at the white paper, he didn't know what to write. What did one write when you were saying goodbye to someone? Especially someone like Merle.

Finally, he wrote something quick down and placed the note on his pillow. Hopefully, Merle would be able to see it when he walked in.

"Are you ready?" She asked, heading toward the door. "Rick will be wondering what's taking us so long."

"Yeah." Daryl sighed and went to join Carol, so they could leave the room. Then, he remembered something. The letters! He rushed back to the table, practically running into it in his haste and opened the first drawer to reveal all of the folded pieces of paper. Quickly, he shoved them all in his bag and saw that Carol was watching him curiously.

Just because he was with the real thing, now, didn't mean that Daryl was ready to part with Carol's letters.

* * *

Rick was pacing the room impatiently when they arrived. Oscar was leaning on some of the supply boxes and Michonne was peeking out the front window every few minutes, looking just as impatient as Rick.

When they walked through the doors, Daryl didn't miss the way Rick's eyes quickly scanned over Carol's body, looking for any injuries. Or so he hoped. Daryl didn't know what he would do if Carol was already with someone. Not that he really thought he had a chance.

"Are you ready, now?" Rick asked.

"Yeah," Daryl answered with a jerk of his head.

"Show us the way."

"All right. It ain't far, but we gotta keep close to the shadows in case the Gov has anyone lurking around," he said in a low voice as they slid out the side door of the building that led into an alley. Unfortunately, to get to where Glenn and Maggie were being kept, they would have to keep mostly to the sidewalks.

"And we can't all pile into a dark alley without being detected if someone does come," Carol added and when Daryl made eye contact with her, he saw that she had a slight smile on her face. His cheeks burned, remembering their 'kiss' that had happened in a dark alley.

As they crept along the darkened buildings of Woodbury, Daryl led the way. Michonne followed beside him, knowing some of the Woodbury layout from her short time there. With her sword and his bow, they were the only two with silent weapons in case they came across anyone who needed to be taken out. Carol, Rick and Oscar hung back and made sure to keep an eye behind them.

Up ahead, Daryl spotted the building where Merle had said they were holding Glenn. Outside of the front doors, stood two men. Guards. And both of them had a rifle in their hands. He leaned close to Michonne and whispered, "You take care of one and I'll get the other.  _Don't_  kill them, all right? Unless, they try to kill you." Though Daryl hadn't liked living in Woodbury and knew the Governor was bad news, didn't mean that he hated everyone there. No one had been his friend, but there were still some decent people. For all he knew, the two guards outside didn't even know what they were guarding.

Then, again, they maybe they  _did_  know. Either way, Daryl wasn't ready to have another man's blood on his hands. Especially if they didn't see him coming and get a chance to defend themselves.

Michonne nodded in understanding and slipped silently into the shadows. Daryl turned to the three behind him and motioned for them to stay put before he slipped into the shadows, as well. Of course, he wasn't as graceful as the swordswoman, but his steps were silent as he approached one of the guards. Using the back of his crossbow, he slammed it into the man's head just as Michonne did the same with the other guard. Together, they slid to the ground, unconscious, their rifles now useless at their sides.

"Good?" He whispered to the woman, who gave him a nod in return.

Rick, who had been waiting several feet away, by the corner of the building, saw that the two guards had been taken care of and didn't wait for Daryl to signal him. He made his way, with Carol and Oscar, and joined Daryl and Michonne in front of the building.

Daryl bent down and retrieved a key ring from one the guards in case they had use of them. The front door was unlocked, but that didn't mean wherever Glenn and Maggie were being kept would be unlocked, as well.

"All right, everyone. Stick close together," Rick ordered. "Watch one another's backs and shoot to wound only."

However, before they could enter the building, noises from the inside had Rick and the other bursting through, forgetting that they were supposed to be on a stealth mission. Daryl was filled with dread, knowing the noises would have something to do with Glenn and Maggie. He just hoped they would be all right when they found them.

Running through a short hallway, the five of them came to screeching halt. What they saw made Daryl's blood run cold. On his knees was a bloody, half-naked Glenn with an even bloodier knife in his hand. His face was swollen and almost unrecognizable. Beside him, clutching his hand was the woman from before.  _Maggie._  She was wearing Glenn's shirt and was trembling. In front of them, stood three guards with their guns trained on them and on the ground, two more laid. Dead.

Daryl didn't hesitate; these men were going to  _kill_  Glenn and Maggie. They weren't good men. He let a bolt fly and watched as it went straight into the skull of one of the men. He fell to the ground like a sack of rocks, momentarily distracting the other two. Not for long, though. Rick took out one with his pistol and Michonne stabbed the other in the forehead with her sword.

Everything had happened in seconds. The three guards had quickly joined the fourth one in death. Glenn and Maggie looked up at them, surprise and relief on their faces. Glenn stood first and helped Maggie, who was shaking a bit, to her feet.

"Maggie!" Carol exclaimed and rushed to the young woman, giving her a hug. Maggie wrapped her arms around Carol and seemed to melt into the embrace with tears coursing down her dirty and bloody cheeks.

Glenn didn't embrace Rick. Instead, he stood almost impossibly straight and with his jaw set in rage. "Are you here to fucking kill that madman, Rick?" He demanded. "Because he needs to die for what he did to Maggie." Glenn's hands were shaking with the anger he was feeling.

"We can't take on a whole town, Glenn. Not even if we had everyone," Rick said as calmly as he could. "Let's focus on getting back to the prison  _safely_  and  _alive_."

"Fine. You get Maggie out of here and I'll kill him."

"And what will we tell her when you get your ass killed?" Rick growled low. "Now, let's get moving before someone notices the guards outside and raises an alarm." He grabbed the young man's bare arm, but Glenn ripped it out of his grasp.

"I'm going to kill him, Rick," he said, firmly, his mouth set in a hard edge. "Just because I'm not going to do it, now, doesn't mean I won't. I'm going to kill him. I promise you that."

Daryl stood back and watched the exchange, heart sinking. This wasn't the same Glenn he had met a few weeks before. The quick grin and easygoing manner was gone and in its place was an angry man set on revenge. It made Daryl want to kill Phillip Blake, too, for destroying some of what made Glenn who he was.

"Where did Michonne go?" Carol had pulled away from her embrace with Maggie, but still stood close, and had noticed they were missing one member of their rescue group. The swordswoman must have slipped out while Glenn and Rick had been talking.

"She did say she had someone she wanted to get out, too," Oscar said, having been silent up until that point.

"Should we wait for her?" Daryl asked, knowing that was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do. He knew who Michonne was trying to get out of Woodbury and knew that she would be met with failure.

"No. She knew what our mission was and decided to go off on her own," Rick said. "We need to get out of here. She can take care of herself."

"Okay," he said.

"Do you know a way out of here?" Rick asked.

Daryl hadn't thought that far ahead. All he had been thinking about for the last hour was getting Glenn out of Woodbury and...Carol. He would find a way for them to get out of there, though. Somehow. "We can go out the way you all came in," he suggested. "That way we won't risk drawing any attention if we were trying to go for the front gate." The escape route had been simple and he wondered why Rick hadn't thought about it himself.

The man sighed and ran a bloody hand through his hair. "I was hoping that there would be a way out that was a bit closer." He swept an arm in front of him. "Lead the way, Daryl."

Daryl looked over the group of five. Every one of them had a weapon of some kind, except for Maggie. Digging in his pack, he found his knife and handed it to Carol, who had been staying to his right. She had a knife of her own (he knew because she had stabbed him with it) and gave him an odd look as she took the weapon. "Give it to her," he said and pointed with his chin to Maggie, who was now near Glenn.

When he had first stepped forward with the knife, Daryl had seen from the corner of his eye, that Maggie had taken a step back. It wasn't likely that she would have willingly taken a weapon from him.

"Thank you," Carol said, finally understanding and turned to hand the knife to Maggie, who took it gratefully.

"We ready now?" Rick sounded impatient and Daryl didn't blame him. Every minute they were in there was a minute someone could come by and see the unconscious guards out front.

"Come on," Daryl motioned and together, the group of six, exited the same door they had come in through. They stepped over the unconscious guards and made their way down the dimly lit streets.

However, they didn't get far when all hell seemed to break loose.

* * *

Merle woke up an hour after speaking with Glenn. The first thing he did was go to Daryl's room, but found it empty. Not just empty of his brother, but all of his possessions, as well. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach.  _He wouldn't_.

A piece of paper on the pillow drew his eye and Merle quickly walked across the room to find that it was note written to him in Daryl's scrawly handwriting.

_Merle,_

_I'm leaving this place. I fucking hate it here. I can't tell you where I'm going, but if you ever decide Woodbury ain't for you, I have faith that you'll be able to find me again._

_Love,_

_Daryl._

He cursed loudly and nearly ran from the building. Had his little brother left Woodbury without telling him? That hurt. He knew Daryl didn't like it there and wanted to leave, but Merle never thought he would leave without Merle or at least without telling him first. A fucking letter didn't count!

On his way out, he nearly collided with Milton. The skittish man stopped so fast in his tracks that his glasses almost flew from his face.

"Watch where you're goin'!" Normally, he didn't mind the bookish man, but now, he was in a hurry. Maybe Daryl was still in Woodbury somewhere and he could stop him before leaving.

However, before he could jog down the street, the sounds of gunfire had him freezing in place.

"Shit!"


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

They hadn't been far from freedom; the building Rick and his group had climbed through was only a few blocks away. Somehow, though, someone had spotted them, knew they weren't Woodbury natives and opened fire. Daryl instinctively jumped in front of Carol, willing to take any bullet meant for her and shot bolt after bolt at men he had been living with for the past few weeks. Truthfully, he wasn't aiming at anyone in particular, but cries of pain told him that some of his bullets and some of Rick's bullets were making there mark.

Glenn and Maggie were hanging behind them since they only had knives to protect themselves.

Daryl looked around, hoping to spot a way out of there. All he saw were alleyways. Alleyways that led to the back of the buildings... "Follow me!" Without thinking, he grabbed Carol's hand, surprising her, and dragged them down the closest dark alley. The plan was to keep to the back of the buildings until they reached the front of Woodbury and hopefully dodged the gunmen trying to kill them.

However, not all of them were going to make it out of Woodbury.

There was a cry that had Daryl stopping in his tracks and turning just in time to see Oscar fall to the ground, nearly falling on top of Maggie as he went. The young woman swallowed a scream and dodged the limp body, for it was obvious Oscar was dead before he hit the ground. With the knife Daryl had given her, Maggie leaned down and slammed the blade up to the hilt in the man's head.

Daryl didn't understand why she had done that. Wasn't the man already dead? He couldn't dwell on it for long, though, because there was a tug on his hand and he was moving, again. "I'll tell you later," Carol whispered, furiously and they were back to running.

Bullets continued to whiz past their heads as they ran down the back of the building. They hadn't lost any of the Governor's men.

Everyone turned a corner and pressed their backs against the brick wall. "We need to split up," Rick said. "We can easily get picked off this way."

"All right," Daryl agreed, finding worth in the plan. "Meet in front. Most of his men must be after us, now, so there shouldn't be many, if any, on the wall. We'll be able to get out there."

Daryl didn't even think about how they would split up, he just took Carol's hand and went in a different direction than Rick, Glenn and Maggie. Fortunately, for them, the men pursuing them hadn't expected the split up and all went after Rick's group while Daryl and Carol were allowed a little time to breathe.

"We can't just stay here," Carol exclaimed as Daryl led them to a place where they could lean against a wall and rest a bit. "They're all going after Rick. We have to do something."

"We will," he said. "We need a little time to just stop and think. We can't go in half-ass."

"We don't have time to think!"

Daryl understood her anxiety and panic. That was her family out there. They couldn't just go out guns blazing and expect to live, though. "Carol, listen. We ha-" He didn't get to finish. Carol took off, gun raised and ready to shoot.

"Shit!" He ran after her. "Carol, wait!" Up ahead, he could see her running and then, just like that, she was gone. Someone had reached out from one of the alleyways and grabbed her arm.

* * *

When Merle shot out of his apartment building and was startled by the sounds of gunfire, he never expected that he would soon have his arms full of a struggling, short-haired woman. The woman had appeared out of no where and his first instinct had been to grab her, especially since he knew she wasn't from Woodbury. "Calm down, missy." With great strength, he managed to turn her around to face him and had to duck a flying fist.

Yep, most definitely  _not_  from Woodbury. He would have definitely noticed this woman if she had been.

A flash of silver caught his eye and if he didn't have quick reflexes, he would have gotten a bullet in the gut. Quickly, he grabbed her wrist and aimed the weapon to the sky. The bullet flew, not harming anyone.

"Let go of me!" The woman cried and managed to get a sharp elbow in his gut, but Merle held firm despite the pain and the bruise that was sure to form. All he wanted to know from her was how she had gotten in and why.

"Daryl!" The woman yelled, not stopping in her struggling. "Help!"

"Daryl, huh?" He chuckled; surprised that she was calling his brother. She gave him an odd look. "That's my brother, sugar."

At that information, the woman went limp in his arms. "You're Merle?"

Once again, Merle was surprised by this little woman. "He's already told you about me? How long have you even known him because I swear I've never met you in my l-"

"Let her go!" Instead of a gun being shoved in his face, it was a crossbow. A very familiar crossbow. The moment Daryl realized who he was pointing his weapon at, he lowered it.

"Well, well, baby brother. Are you goin' to tell me how you know this feisty little lady here? She damn near broke my nose and filled my gut with lead!" The woman didn't look the least bit sorry about it, either.

"We ain't got time for that." Daryl took hold of the woman's arm and pulled her away from Merle's grasp. Merle crossed his arms and watched as Daryl's eyes roamed over the woman's figure carefully, not in a lecherous way either, but in a way that showed he was making sure she was unharmed.

"God damn, Daryl," Merle whistled, recognizing the look in his little brother's eyes, which was a look he knew he had never seen before on Daryl. "You're in love with her."

"What?" Both of them turned to look at him at the same time, like they were already in sync. Daryl's eyes had widened until they almost looked like saucers and the look of panic was clearly seen. He had been caught. The woman's eyes were wide to, but in surprise.

"We just met today," she said, as if that would make Merle doubt what he had seen in his little brother's eyes.

"Yeah," Daryl agreed. However, Merle knew his brother better than anyone in the world and if that wasn't tenderness and love in the way Daryl had been looking down at the petite woman, then Merle didn't know what it was.

"Whatever you say," he didn't want to talk anymore about the subject at the moment. Especially since they seemed to be in the middle of a fucking war.

As if to punctuate Merle's thoughts, a spray of bullets hit the brick wall above them and rained down red dust on them. Daryl grabbed the woman's hand, which Merle zeroed in on, and pulled her down the alleyway. "We need to get out of here," he yelled back as if it weren't obvious. However, Merle didn't think he meant get out of the alley, but out of Woodbury.

Daryl was really going to leave.

* * *

Daryl's hand felt slippery with sweat in Carol's hand, but he didn't dare let go. He didn't want to lose her, again or risk leaving her behind as they zig-zagged through Woodbury together, dodging bullets and trying not to get killed before they could escape.

From behind, he could hear Merle's heavy breathing and even heavier footsteps. He wondered if his older brother was going to leave with them or just follow them to the exit. Daryl hoped he would leave Woodbury, especially after witnessing what kind of man the Governor was. Merle may be on his good side, now, but Daryl knew that one day it could change and Merle would pay the price for it. Hopefully, not with his life.

"There it is!" He exclaimed when he saw the front gate. The air was hazy with smoke and Daryl was grateful for the shield that it would give them as they made their exit. He just hoped that Rick and his group would join them, soon. He'd wait for them outside the gate, though. There was no way he was going to risk Carol's life by just standing around being easy targets in the open.

"Wait a second, bro!" Merle called after them, slightly out of breath. The three of them came to a halt. "You're just goin' to let her go?"

"I'm goin' with her," he said with no hesitation. He had made up his mind awhile ago.

"But you don't even know her!" Merle protested. "Once you leave here, she could shoot you in the back!"

 _I do know her and she'd never do that._  Of course, he couldn't say that aloud. Not with Carol just inches away from him and hearing every word he would say. "I do know Rick and Glenn, though." He knew it was about time to come clean.

Merle took a deep breath. "So, you  _did_  know him? I knew it the moment you saw who was in the back of the SUV. How the hell did you meet them?"

"Remember the few months when you were here and I was bustin' my ass  _lookin'_  for you? That's when I met them. Briefly. They didn't kill me on sight, so I figured they were good people and they've offered me a place with their group. I'm leavin' this place."

"You goin' to leave me here, then?"

"You can come with. Ain't no one keepin' you here."

"You know I can't leave here," his older brother said. "They respect me. There' s no way in hell she and her people will respect where we'll be goin'. They ain't goin' to respect you, either. You'll just be the filthy redneck that will do all the dirty work for them."

"He saved my life and he didn't have to," Carol spoke up. "He led us to Glenn and Maggie. I respected him within the first five minutes of meeting him. We don't treat people like shit in our group." She crossed her arms and stared down Merle. This woman was  _fierce_.

Before Merle could open his mouth to say something in return to Carol, Daryl jumped in. "Look, you  _know_  how the Governor is. He's sick. You need to get out of here before he turns on you. You know he will, eventually." The older Dixon turned thoughtful, then, and Daryl knew that this wasn't the first time the thought had gone through his head.

"Carol! Daryl!" It was Rick. He was running with Glenn and Maggie in tow. "We have to get out of here, now!" In the distance, Daryl could see shapes of men running after them. Daryl took Carol's hand once more and ran. When Merle followed, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh in relief.

Rick made it to the door first, shooting the one man on the gate and slipped out. Glenn and Maggie followed quickly after. Daryl all but pushed Carol through the door and was about to follow when Merle pulled him back by the arm.

"Listen, I ain't got much time, I know. But I'm not comin' with you. I can't. You listen to me real good, though. You don't let that woman go, you hear? You give it to her good the first chance you get." Daryl opened his mouth to protest, but Merle quickly cut him off. "I hope we see each other, again, little brother and if not, I lov-"

There was a shot and blood splattered across Daryl's face. The hand on his arm went slack and Daryl watched, almost in slow motion, as Merle fell to the ground.

"Merle!" Daryl cried and went to fall to his knees next to his older brother, but a hail of bullets stopped him.

"Daryl, come on!" Carol grabbed his arm and pulled him through the door. They took off running into the night, leaving Woodbury behind. However, felt like he was a robot that was just going through the motions of escaping.

In his gut, he knew Merle was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :'(


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

They didn't slow down until they came to a pair of vehicles. Daryl stuttered to a stop and watched as everyone piled into the cars. It hit him, then. These  _weren't_ his people. The only person he had known in this world had been Merle and now, he was dead. What had he been thinking, trying to leave Woodbury with these people? They probably did care that if he lived or died. For all he knew, they could have just used him to get Glenn and Maggie and now, would leave him behind. Or kill him.

"Daryl?" The only voice that could get to him at the moment spoke and he looked to see that Carol was sitting in the back seat of one of the cars, looking at him. "Come on," she said, softly and held out a hand. "We need to go."

His feet felt cemented to the ground and when he opened his mouth to speak, nothing came out. It was like he was frozen in place while everything around him flew by. Carol noticed what was happening to him and climbed from the car. Rick, who was behind the wheel gave a disapproving stare, but didn't say anything.

"Come on, Daryl," she said, again, voice incredibly soft. Once she was close enough, she reached out and grabbed his hand. The feel of her soft hand in his seemed to uproot Daryl a little and he was able to follow when she tugged at his hand.

Few minutes later, they were settled in the car. Rick was behind the wheel while Carol and Daryl settled in the back. Michonne had made it back to them, alone, while Daryl had felt glued to the ground. She was in the other vehicle with Glenn and Maggie.

Carol leaned down and grabbed something from the floor. It was a half-empty water bottle. She dumped some of the water onto a rag and brought the cloth up to Daryl's face. He flinhed, not knowing what she was doing. "You have M-, you have blood on your face. I can clean it up for you."

Unable to speak, Daryl nodded. Carol dapped gently at his face and he enjoyed the intimacy of it, even if she wasn't thinking of it like that. Once she was finished, she sat back in her seat. "I'm sorry about your brother, Daryl," she said, softly.

Daryl reached for her hand in the dark and squeezed, still feeling incredibly numb. "Me, too."

* * *

They pulled up to a high chain-link fence just as the sun was creeping up in the horizon. Daryl hadn't even known that much time had passed with everything that had happened. It had all seemed to fly by in a matter of seconds, not hours.

A young boy with a sheriff's hat opened the door for them and the vehicles pulled up further into the fence. That was when Daryl realized they were at a prison. He had left a town to stay at a prison.

Once they came to a stop, they were greeted by an old man on crutches who looked to have only one leg, a young blonde girl holding a baby and a red-headed man with a mustache and dressed in a prison uniform.

Maggie shot out of the back seat of one of the cars and went to embrace the old man.

"That's her father," Carol explained once they climbed out of the car.

The young blonde girl walked forward and handed the baby to Rick and Daryl assumed that the baby was his. The girl, then, went up on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on Rick's bearded cheek. "Thank you for bringing them back," she said. The look she had given Rick looked more flirtaseous than thankful or it looked like that to Daryl, anyway.

"We wouldn't have found them if it hadn't been for Daryl." Rick turned to look at him and the girl's blue eyes widened. She took a step towards him and Daryl took a step away. There was no way he was going to let that girl come near him. She didn't look any older than sixteen.

"That's Beth," Carol leaned close and whispered. "She's Maggie's younger sister."

"Okay, I know the baby has to be Rick's. Is she the m-"

"No!" She almost said above a whisper, looking appalled and then, her features changed to sadness. "Lori was her mother, Rick's wife. She died a few days ago giving birth to Judith. She was my best friend and I was-" She stopped herself.

Daryl, despite his aversion to touch, reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder for a few seconds before she turned to look at him fully causing his hand to fall back to his side. "Anyway," she said, a little too brightly. "And that's Axel in the prison clothes. He was an inmate here, along with Oscar."

It seemed the red-headed man knew they were talking about him and began to walk their way. His eyes were only for Carol and when Carol turned to look at him, she smiled, brightly. Something twisted in Daryl's stomach.

"I'm really sorry about Oscar, Axel," she said when the man stopped in front of him.

Axel bowed his head. "Besides Big Tiny, he was the only one I liked out of our group. Now...it's only me." Carol reached out and squeezed his shoulder. Daryl felt like a knife was being dug into his chest.

"This is Daryl," she introduced him. "He helped find Glenn and Maggie."

"Nice to meet you," Axel said and stuck out a hand.

Daryl looked at it for a moment, wondering who the hell shook hands, anymore. "Nice to meet you, too," he mumbled and shook it.

Axel's attention didn't last long on Daryl before he was looking back at Carol. "I'm glad you're back, Carol. Beth made supper last night and it's just not the same."

Something flickered across Carol's face. Something Daryl caught, but Axel clearly had not. "Am I only good for cooking, Axel?"

"No, course not!" The mustached-man took a step back and held up his hands. "Sorry. Didn't mean for it to come out like that. You're one hell of a lady and not just about cooking."

"You're damn right, I am. But you'll just have to deal with her cooking some more because I'm exhausted." After all, they had been up for twenty-four hours and many of those hours had them running for their lives.

"Rick said we could catch a few hours of rest and then, we'll have to have a meeting about Woodbury," she said. "So, I'll see you in a bit, Axel." She turned to Daryl. "I'll show you where you can stay. I hope you don't mind making a prison cell your new home."

"If it has a place to sleep, I'll be fine."

* * *

Carol led him into cellblock C and Daryl saw the rows of cells.

"Up or down?" She asked, indicating to whether he wanted a cell on the first or second floor.

"Where's yours?" He blurted and winced. Great. He'd think him a freak, now.

However, instead of looking uncomfortable, she smiled and led him up the stairs. "I'm one of the only ones up here," she said. "The Greene family and Glenn stay close and so do the Grimes." Meaning that she had no one to be close, too. Daryl wanted to reach out to her, then. But he kept his hands to his sides.

"This is my cell," she said and they stood in front of a cell block that had scarce belongings in it. On the table beside the bed, he saw a few sheets of paper and a pen. Her letter writing tools, he assumed.

"And this could be your cell, if you want it." She pointed to the one right next to her.

"I do want. Thank you."

"Why don't you set your stuff down and I'll go grab you a pillow and blanket."

"You ain't gotta do that," he said, reaching for her arm.

"You're used to sleeping on a real bed in Woodbury, Daryl. You'll definitely want that blanket and pillow. It'll only take me a few minutes."

He let her go. "Okay. Thanks."

Daryl watched Carol climb down the stairs before walking into the place he would now call home. He set his crossbow at the foot of his bed and the pack on his shoulder on the top bunk. Taking a glance around at the cold, gray walls he took a seat on the prison bed and immediately could feel the difference between it and the bed he had slept in Woodbury. Already, a spring was poking him in the ass.

However, he wouldn't change this for Woodbury.

He only wanted to return so he could, at least, bury Merle's body, but he had no idea what the Governor would have done with it. Anger and sadness went through him and he placed his head in his hands, feeling the hot prick of tears in his eyes.

Since their flight from Woodbury, he had felt so numb and now, he just wanted to let it all out. Exhaustion was taking hold of him, though, and the tears just wouldn't come. They swam in his eyes, but they didn't fall.

"Daryl," Carol's soft voice brought him back to the present. "Here, you go."

When he looked up to see her holding a folding blanket and a pillow, she gasped, probably seeing all of the emotion on his face. There seemed to be something warring inside of her, but all she did was hand him the bundle in her hands.

"I'm really sorry about your brother, Daryl," she said, again. "I wish he could have come with you."

"I do, too." He set the bundle to his right and wished he could reach for her next. "C-Carol," he croaked, surprised at the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. He wanted to reach out to someone, but he had no one left. No one except  _her_  and there was no way she'd ever feel the same way about him that he felt about her.

"Yes, Daryl?" She took the spot next to him, but didn't reach out.

He wanted to ask her to stay with him, to lie in the same bed, just to know that he wasn't alone. But he couldn't do that. "I-I don't know what to do, anymore," the admission was softly spoken.

While they had been on the road and in Woodbury, Daryl didn't really think he had a purpose. All he did was survive and now, without Merle, he was more lost than ever.

One of her hands went to his shoulder, squeezing it. "Now, you need to rest. You've had a long day. I'll come get you for Rick's meeting and afterwards, if you need to talk and have someone listen. I'll be here."

He looked at her, eyes watery. "Thanks. I think...I think I might take you up on that offer."

Carol stood up. "Also, I know this may not be the best time, but there are some things I'd like to ask you. Maybe, I can ask you...later?" She seemed unsure and bit her bottom lip.

"All right," he agreed, knowing that ever since Woodbury she had questions. Especially, since she had wanted to know how he had known to give the letter to Sophia back to Rick.

"I hope you rest well, Daryl and I'll come get you in a few hours." Slowly, she backed out of the room and with one last smile, she retreated to her cell.

* * *

_"Why did you leave me, little brother?"_

_Daryl opened his eyes to see that he was sitting in a dimly lit room. In front of him was a long, wooden table and when he tried to move, he saw that his hands and legs were duct taped to the chair._

_"If you hadn't left me, I'd still be alive."_

_It was Merle's voice, but Merle was no where to be found._

_"Now, there ain't nobody out there for you. Ain't nobody goin' to love you, like I do, little brother."_

_"Shut-up!" He yelled, voice hoarse as if he had been screaming._

_"You left me for a piece of ass," his brother sneered. "That woman ain't never goin' to love you, Darylina. She feels sorry for you, but she ain't goin' to feel anythin' for you beside pity."_

_"Shut-up!"_

"Daryl?"

This time when he opened his eyes, he found himself in the cell he would be calling home. In the doorway, Carol was silhouetted. He sat up to get a better look at her face and she seemed worried.

"Yeah?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

"You all right? You were shouting in your sleep."

"Oh," he mumbled. "Sorry, if I woke you."

"You didn't. I was just coming to get you for the meeting." She took a step outside of his cell. "Everyone is there already, so we're waiting for you." She gave him a smile that said it was okay.

"Okay. Comin'." He pulled himself out of the bed and followed Carol down the steps and to the common room where everyone was gathered.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

Daryl followed behind Carol with his head down as they made their way to the common area outside of cellblock C. Everyone else was already there, waiting for them. Carol mumbled a quick apology and took a seat at one of the empty tables and Daryl took a seat next to her. Glancing around, he was glad to see that Axel was sitting across the room from them.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin," Rick said standing in front of all of them.

Sitting at the table in front was a battered looking Glenn and an obviously shaken Maggie. "You know what we need to do, Rick," Glenn said, voice hard with anger. "We need to go back there and kill that piece of shit."

"And get killed in the process, son," Hershel said, calmly. "That is not how we should go about things."

"Hershel is right," Rick agreed. "We may have gained two members to our group, but we're still outnumbered. Hershel can't fight with his leg and Beth doesn't handle a gun very well, yet."

"We need to figure out what to do quick," Daryl spoke up. "Once he regroups, the Governor is going to come here and he's not going to ask nicely to come in."

"Should we leave?" Carol asked, thinking of Judith. "Find somewhere else to go?"

"No. We worked hard for this place and we're not giving it up," Rick said.

"He'll kill us all. Even the baby," Michonne's low voice had them all turning towards her. She was sitting in the back of the group at a table all to herself.

"That's why we need to get him right now," Glenn stood up.

"No!" Rick shouted and started to pace, a strange look in his eye.

"So, you'll want until he comes here and kills us?" Glenn asked. "We have the opportunity to end this a-"

"What opportunity, Glenn?" Rick turned to the younger man. "We snuck in there once, but after what happened last night, Woodbury is going to be on lockdown. No one is going to be able to get inside. I want this man dead for what he did to you two, but what you're suggesting will get you killed before you could even get the chance to get him."

Glenn clenched his fists, but didn't say anything and took his seat once more. Maggie placed a hand on his shoulder, but he ignored her.

"Rick's right," Daryl said. "The Governor is going to have more people on those walls and in the streets. He's going to know where every citizen is. The best chance we have of survival is to leave here. He has a tank and he'll just crash through these walls."

"We can't and we won't," Rick said with finality. "Do you think we have a few days before he comes?" The question was directed at Daryl.

"He'll wait and attack when he thinks we'll least expect it."

"We'll always expect it, then." He turned to the rest of the group. "We're going to fight him when he comes and for that, we'll need weapons. King County, where I was a police officer, isn't far from here. If it hasn't been picked clean, I know where we can find an arsenal of weapons.

"Michonne, I'd like you to come with." The woman nodded.

"I want to come, too, dad." The boy with the sheriff's hat, Carl, stood from where he sat next to his little sister, who was lying in a baby carrier on the table.

Rick paused for a moment, thinking. "Sure, Carl. We'll leave tomorrow morning and hope to be back before nightfall. Then, we'll come up with a plan of attack...or defense, for when the Governor comes." Rick walked past the table and headed to the door of the cellblock, ending the meeting.

Michonne and Carl followed him while everyone else stayed seated at their tables. Carol turned towards Daryl. "Would you like to have that talk, now?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." They stood from the table.

"All right. We can talk in the watchtower. I'm supposed to be on watch, but we can talk."

"Okay," he agreed. "Just give me a few minutes? I'll meet you out there." Carol nodded and they went to their separate ways. She went outside to the tower and Daryl made his way back to his cell. Digging in his bag, he took out all of Carol's letters and put them in his pocket. It was time for the moment of truth and he hoped he didn't scare her away.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Daryl grabbed his crossbow and went to join Carol in the watch tower.

* * *

The letters were burning in his pocket as he stared up the concrete staircase that would lead up to Carol. It was time to confess all and he was afraid for the way she would react. After all, he had never thought it would come down to this. Once he followed Merle to Woodbury, thoughts of ever finding Carol had gone out the window.

In the end,  _she_  had been then one to find him.

"Are you just going to stand there all night or come up?" Her teasing voice started him and he looked up to see her leaning over the railing of the tower. He had been standing outside with the door open longer than he had thought.

"Uh, yeah. Comin'." Quickly, he slipped through the door and made sure to take a few deep breaths as he climbed up the steps. Carol greeted him once he took the last step, a large gun strapped to her back.

"Everything okay?" She asked, the teasing tone had been replaced with a concerned one.

"Yeah, everything's fine," he answered, not really feeling fine at all.

Carol looked him over for a moment, not fully believing him. "Come on," she said, finally. "I have to be watching the fences and they're this way." She indicated with a tip of her head. Daryl followed behind her silently and when she took a seat with her legs dangling over the edge, he did the same.

"So, did you want to go first or me?" Carol asked after a few minutes of silence. She had taken the gun from her back and set it on her other side. Daryl's crossbow laid next to him, as well.

"Uh, you can go first," he mumbled. "Ladies first and all, right?" He offered her a shy smile, which she returned.

"You're so sweet," she said and nudged him gently before turning serious.

"I just want to know how you knew to give that letter to Rick and Glenn. You told me in Woodbury that it was a long story. Well, we have time, now."

Daryl gulped. "You're probably goin' to think I'm a creep," he said.

"Why?" Her brows furrowed, confused. He was glad that was her first reaction. Confusion. To him, it meant that she never thought to think he was some kind of creep.

"Awhile ago, I came across you and your girl at the lake in the quarry. I was plannin' on makin' camp there for the night, but found that you all beat me to it." He didn't look at her as he spoke. "You were kneeling by the lake, washin' your face. You- You had a bloody lip and bruises on your arms."

"You saw all of that?"

"I was pretty close," he said.

"That explains it..." she whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said, quickly. "Go on."

"Then, you're girl-Sophia. Sophia showed up and your face just lit up. I knew right away that had to be your daughter and that you loved her. I think you tried to hide the marks on your skin, but she saw your lip and she took the rag from you to clean you up."

Carol choked out a sob, eyes glistening.

"You want me to stop? I didn't mean to upset you."

"N-No, keep going. I just forgot about that night. There were so many times when I had to go down to that lake. But hearing you talk about it, made me remember the one night Sophia came to check on me." She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "I remember how she took the rag from my hands to gently dab at my face. She was sweet like that. I just wish...well, I wish a lot of things. I wish she was here with me...and I wish she never had to see me hurt like that."

"You should have never been hurt like that," he said, angrily. "Ed deserved to die and I hope he got ripped apart when he did."

Carol started and looked at him, eyes still bright with tears. "How did you know that was his name?"

 _Shit._  "It's, uh, it's part of the long story."

"Oh. Go on."

"I watched you and your girl for a little bit, heard her talk about Glenn and some of the others of your camp. When the two of you finally made your way back, I went to my truck and slept." He picked at the skin of his thumb. "I went back to tell Merle that I found a group and that we should meet up with them. By the time we made it back to the quarry, it had been too late.

"I found where you all buried the dead and I saw the letter on Ed's. That's how I knew his name and that's how I found out yours, as well." He glanced up at her to check how she was reacting to everything he was saying. She looked a little shocked and pale, but otherwise seemed fine. At least she didn't look angry or creeped out.

"So, we drove awhile on the highway, hoping that we would meet up with you all eventually. Then, one day, we came across that car... The one with a message to Sophia on the windshield. I went into the woods, not knowin' how long she'd been missin' and I hoped that I would be able to find her." He looked away. "I didn't and I came across the farm, instead. That's where I found out that any of my lookin' had been too late and that your girl was gone. I saw the letter on her grave, along with Dale's, and took it. Merle took the cross you had there. I tried to get it back, but... It's back at Woodbury, now."

"What made you take it?" Carol asked, voice small.

Daryl's palms grew sweaty. This was it. He reached for his pocket. "Actually," he said, haltingly. "I took... _all_  of your letters." Finally, he pulled out Ed and Dale's letters and handed them to her.

Carol took them, hands shaking as she held the pieces of paper in her hands once more. "Why?"

Daryl shrugged. "Don't know," he mumbled the lie. "Just did." They had just met face-to-face, he couldn't tell her the truth. It would scare her off. Merle had almost ruined it the night before by opening his big mouth.

Suddenly, Carol was on her feet, letters still clutched in her hands. "I'll be right back. Can you keep watch for a few minutes?"

Confused, Daryl just nodded and then, she was off running down the stairs. Had he finally scared her off? Was she now getting someone else to sit on watch so she could stay from him? Daryl leaned his arms over the railing and stared over the fence and into the dense woods beyond. Really, he didn't believe Carol for running away. He had said a lot of things that must have shocked her in such a short amount of time.

Several minutes, Carol returned, slightly out of breath. "Here," she said and thrust something into his face. It was two pieces of folded paper. Daryl took them, a question in his eyes.

"They're letters to my friends T-Dog and Lori," she answered the silent question. "They...They died a few days ago. I haven't had the chance to put them on the graves, yet, but I would like you to read them."

"Why?"

"You've read all of the other ones and I have nothing to hide."

Daryl glanced down at the paper in his hands and ran a thumb over the edge of one. "Would you like me to read them, now?" Never had he an audience while reading Carol's letters. Now, if she wanted him to read them, he would have Carol herself.

"No," she said. "Read them when you have a moment to yourself." She took her seat back. "Once you read them, I'll put them on their graves."

"Do you want to talk about them?" He asked, sliding the folded pieces of paper carefully into his pocket.

Carol looked out to the piece of prison yard they had chosen for their cemetery. "Lori was my best friend and T-Dog died to save me." She sniffled and wiped a hand across her eyes. "I talk about them more in the letters. Their deaths are still too fresh."

He reached over and placed a hand on her arm. "I understand."

She looked his way and he didn't remove his hand. "Do you want to write a letter for Merle? We-We could even get him a grave marker to put with the rest of ours."

"Naw. It's all right. That place is for your people. Merle was never a part of this group."

Carol covered his hand on her arm with her own. "But you are, now, and he's your brother. He deserves to have a final resting place, even if the plot will be empty."

For a few minutes, Daryl was silent as he thought. "All right," he said, slowly. "I'd like that. Thanks."

"You're with us now, Daryl. If things had been different, Merle could have been with us, too. We bury our dead."

In that moment, Daryl didn't think it was possible to love this woman even more. Her letters had given him a glimpse, but seeing her in person was a hundred times better. Carol was absolutely beautiful, appearance wise and also on the inside. In just a day, she had made him feel welcomed into the group. She didn't have to, but she did.

"Thank you," he said, again. He wanted to pull her into an embrace. Instead, he slid his hand from her arm and put it in his lap.

"Do you-Do you want to hear something weird?" Carol broke the silence they had fallen into and Daryl, desperate to hear her voice, eagerly nodded.

"Don't freak out or anything, okay?"

"Hey, I told you my story and you barely blinked." He smiled. "I think I can handle what you're going to say."

"All right." She took a deep breath, preparing herself. "A few days ago, when T-Dog was killed, I was trapped in a closest somewhere deep in the prison. I thought I was going to die there." She glanced at him, then quickly looked away. "My daughter, Sophia, came to me and told me that I needed to get up and head back to everyone. I didn't want to get up and I didn't think anyone would have missed me if I were die in there.

"But she told me that  _you_  would miss me." Daryl started at that. "When I told her that I didn't know a Daryl, she said that one day I would and that he would make me so happy."

He was silent for a moment. "D-Do you believe that?"

"I-I don't know, yet. But, I think it could be possible."


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

Carol and Daryl sat together on watch for a few more hours before Glenn and Maggie relieved them. Sometimes they had talked, but mostly they were silent. Comfortably so. It was clear that they had a lot on their minds as they stared over the railings and into the night.

Daryl followed Carol down the steps, ready for bed. "You know, if things weren't so grim right now, I would have made a joke about Glenn and Maggie being in the guard tower," Carol said, her voice sounding tired as well.

"Yeah?"

"There isn't much privacy inside the cellblock, if you haven't noticed. They used to go up to the guard tower to...you know." Her cheeks flushed.

"Oh. I get it." His cheeks burned. The first thought that had popped into his head was him taking Carol up there, but he quickly shook that away. Especially since he had  _no_  business thinking about her like that. None at  _all._

"They've been together since the farm. While we were on the road for those months before here, everyone knew when they would get together. We practically lived on each other."

"Suppose I should consider myself lucky that it was just Merle and me, huh?" He gave her a smile. Though, most days he hadn't considered himself so lucky. If he had known Merle would have gone and got his ass killed, he would have treasured those days spent with just his brother.

"I love each member of my group dearly, but let me tell you, I have seen at least all of them naked at one point or another." She shuddered. "I love them, but I love them even better with all of their clothes  _on_."

"Does that mean you even seen Hers-?"

"Yes. Even him. Don't remind me." She shuddered, again. "I think I may be scarred for life because of it." When she laughed softly, Daryl figured it was all right if he were to chuckle along with her.

They passed the man in question in the common are of the block, reading his bible with the light of a candle. Daryl looked at Carol the same moment she looked at him and they burst into laughter, once more.

"What's so funny, you two?" Hershel looked up from his book and gave them a curious look.

"Nothing, Hershel," Carol answered quickly. "Uh, Daryl just told me a joke."

"Oh, really." Hershel closed the bible. "I'd like to hear it, if you don't mind. It's been awhile since I've heard a good joke."

Daryl glared at Carol, who was struggling even harder to contain her laughter, now. "Uh," he scored his brain for a joke. Of course, he couldn't tell the old man any of Merle's dirty jokes. Especially since he had just gotten done reading from the bible.

"What has four eyes and no face?" Daryl mentally slapped himself, knowing that this was the lamest joke he could have told.

"What?"

"Mississippi."

The old man didn't even crack a smile, instead he looked at Carol. "Is that what had you laughing so hard? Because there are other ways you can flirt without laughing at everything a man says." He turned back to his bible.

"Uh. Okay." Carol's face had gone beet red and she grabbed Daryl's arm to pull him into the cellblock and away from Hershel. This time she was the one to be embarrassed.

"Sorry about that," she said, once she shut the barred door behind them. "Hershel can just be-"

"A typical old man?" His mouth quirked up. "When I was little, I spent a lot of time with my mom's dad before...before she died, and he acted the same. Bet he tells long-winded stories."

"God yes." Carol rolled her eyes.

"So did my grandpa. Merle hated them, but I always sat at his knee and listened. Even if he had told the same story over and over." They walked up the metal staircase to the second floor and Daryl lowered his voice to a whisper so not to disturb anyone who was trying to sleep.

"I bet he loved that." Carol flashed him a smile over her shoulder.

"He did. I know it ain't sayin' much, considerin' who my brother is- _was_ , I'm pretty sure I was his favorite grandson. When he passed away when I was eighteen, I got his name tattooed on my chest, over my heart." He flushed a little, since he was spilling that was so personal.

"That's a wonderful way to remember him by." They stopped outside of their cells, though neither one moved to walk in them. "Sometimes I wish that we had things like tattoos, now. I would like to have something to remind me of Sophia. All that I have left of her is one of her hair ties." She held up a wrist and showed him.

"Maybe-Maybe, once this business with the Governor is over, we can go out and look for a kit or somethin'. I've got a few tattoos and I know I ain't no expert, but I'm sure if I read up on it, I could do somethin'." He offered, shyly.

"I might take you up on that offer, Daryl." She smiled. "Now, I think I'm going to go to bed. I have breakfast to wake in the morning."

"If you wake me up, I could help. I-If you want." Really, he didn't know how to cook, but he was going to take any opportunity to spend time with Carol.

"You deserve to sleep in," she said. "Especially after..."

"I don't need that much sleep anymore, anyways. Usually, I go huntin' at dawn."

"All right." She finally gave in. "I'll wake you up. Thanks."

"No problem."

Daryl shifted in place as they stood staring at one another for a little bit. It almost felt as if he should kiss her, but Daryl knew she'd probably push him away. So, with a dip of the head and a mumbled 'good night', he slipped into his cell.

Sitting on his mattress, he lit the candle beside the bed, and pulled out the two letters Carol had handed to him. Maybe, after breakfast, they could place them on the graves of her friends. It would be nice to be there when she placed them on the graves.

Picking up the first one at random, the top of the flap said  _T-Dog._

 _Dear Theodore,_  it read.

_We were always the odd ones out in our group, weren't we? Rick had his family and Glenn had the Greenes. Leaving just us. I didn't mind, of course. You were a good man and those days on the road, you always seemed to put a smile on my face. Even if there seemed to be nothing good left in the world to smile at. You and Rick helped me to shoot and helped me to not become a burden._

_You didn't deserve to go out the way you did. Things shouldn't have happened the way they did._

_You gave your life for mine and I will be forever grateful for that. You gave me another chance at life, though I wish it was a life that had you in it still. But, I know you're in heaven and you're happy. And I know that Amy, Jacqui, Sophia, Dale and Lori are up there with you, as well._

_I love and miss you,_

_Carol_

For some reason, Daryl got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach after reading the letter. T-Dog and Carol had been the odd ones out in their group, meaning they spent a lot of time together. He taught her how to shoot and made her smile, even when she didn't feel like smiling. She also said that she loved him. Of course, she could have loved him like a friend. That was what Carol had told Daryl, anyway. That Lori and T-Dog had been her  _friends._

Besides, he had no reason to be upset even if they had been a thing. He hadn't been there and she hadn't even known he existed.

Setting the letter aside, he picked up the other one. This one said  _Lori._

_Dear Lori,_

_Ever since the quarry, I always considered you one of my dearest friends. At first, I used to think that you would only talk to me because Carl was friend_ _s_ _with Sophia. However, it didn't take me long to realize I was wrong. You were there for me when Sophia went missing and I hope you thought I was there for you during your pregnancy. I tried to be, even though I was still hurting from my daughter's death._

_You were the one I always went to when I needed someone to talk to. Remember when we would shamelessly gossip about Glenn and Maggie? Those were some of the few good times we had on the road._

_When I came out of the tombs to find you gone...it broke my heart. After my ordeal, yours was one of the first faces I wanted to see. While I was in the tombs, Sophia came to me and I know this sounds crazy, but I'm alive because of her. If only she was alive because of me...but that is another story._ _One I shouldn't burden you with. But while I was there, Sophia mentioned a man named Daryl. I don't_  know _a man named Daryl. She said he would make me happy. I don't understand. I wish you were here so I could to talk with you about it. Maybe you would think I was crazy and I would have been okay with that. Just as long as you were_ there.

_Rick is lost without you. So is Carl. And that baby, she's going to grow up without a mom, but I'll look out for her. We all will. You won't have to worry about a thing while you're up there in heaven._

_Say hi to Sophia for me and tell her that I met a Daryl. I don't know if he's going to make me happy, like she said. I guess we'll just have to wait and see._

_I l_ _ove and miss you,_

_Carol._

The last part of the letter had been written in a different color, letting Daryl know that Carol had just added that part after she written the original letter. It made him smile a little and butterflies fluttered in his chest. Did that mean Carol was going to give him a chance?


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Chapter Twenty-One**

_"Daryl? Wake up."_

_He felt the_ _mattress_ _dip by his feet and when he opened his eyes_ _;_ _he was surprised to see that his cell was still dark. The only light was from the moon filtering through the prison's barred windows._

_"Daryl..."_

_Someone was crawling toward him, he saw their shape but nor their face. Not until she was right there in front of him._

_Carol._

_"Carol," he said voice raspy from sleep. "What are you doin'? It's not mornin', yet." He sat up slightly and moved to make room for her on the bed. But, to his surprise, Carol straddled his lap and settled there._

_"Daryl," she said, winding her arms around his neck. "Make me happy._ Please,  _make me happy."_

_Tentatively_ _, he placed his hands on her hips. "H-How?"_

_She leaned close, her breath tickled his lips. "Kiss me." Daryl didn't need to be told twice, he leaned closer, tilted his head and as their lips brushed._

"Daryl?"

This time when he opened his eyes, it wasn't dark in his cell and Carol was silhouetted in his doorway. He sat up, quickly and ran a hand through his hair, hoping to calm down from the dream. "Uh. Yes?" He finally answered. "Time for breakfast?"

"Yep," she said and took a step into the room. "No one else is up, so you don't have to help me if you don't want."

Daryl flung the blankets off his body and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I still want." He stood up and stretched. That night, he had slept in his clothes, too tired to change into the sweat pants he had for pajamas.

"Okay." She smiled. "Meet me downstairs, then." She turned and walked out of the cell, leaving Daryl to get himself together.

He finger combed his hair, slipped on his boats and made sure to slip the two letters into his pocket before grabbing his crossbow and leaving the cell. Just because he would be helping cook didn't mean he couldn't be prepared for anything that could happen. He would never let anything happen to Carol.

When Daryl finally descended the metal staircase, he saw that Carol was waiting patiently by the large barred door, a ring of keys in her hand. "Rick just left to go up in the guard tower," she said and unlocked the door. "Let's hope that Glenn and Maggie left when their watch was over or they'll be in for a rude surprise."

"More like Rick will be in for one," Daryl chuckled and followed her over to the stove. Carol smiled over her shoulder at him.

He set his crossbow down on the nearest table and watched as Carol dug through a box beside the stove. "We don't have much to cook for breakfast," she said, popping up with a few cans of something in her arms. Daryl hoped that his staring at her ass hadn't been obvious.

"Reckon anythin' will be better than nothin'," he said, recalling the times he and Merle had gone a day or two without having anything to eat.

"You're right." She placed the cans all in a row on the counter and turned to him. "Can you get me some water, please? There are a few bottles in one of the cells we're using for storage." The keys jiggled as she handed the ring of them to Daryl. "I forgot to grab them on our way out."

"No problem," he said and took the keys to the door just Rick came in from outside. He nodded at Carol and stopped just outside the door and waited for Daryl to open it.

"Morning," Rick mumbled and slide through the door once Daryl opened it. He went to the cell where Carl and Judith were still sleeping and Daryl went to the first cell, where their supplies were. He grabbed a few bottles.

"Hey, Daryl," Rick stepped from his cell and stopped him. "Can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Uh, sure."

Rick looked over his shoulder, making sure that his children were still asleep before stepping out to meet Daryl in the middle of the block. "What are your intentions here, Daryl?" He tilted his head and his hand ghosted over the gun at his hip.

"What do you mean?"

"I see the way you've been looking at Carol. You left Woodbury for her, didn't you?" Daryl didn't say anything, though he knew Rick was true.

"Carol's my family, Daryl and I won't allow anything to happen to her. Now, I know you saved Glenn and Maggie in Woodbury and helped us get out of there, but I don't fully trust you." Daryl wanted to protest but knew Rick was right. There was no reason for Rick to trust him fully.

"I get it. I do. But I ain't goin' to hurt Carol. I-"

"Why, Carol? Just curious. I've never laid eyes on you until we met at that house. Did you know her before the Turn?"

"No."

"Didn't think so. Ed didn't seem like the type to let Carol have any friends, let alone any male friends. So, how  _do_  you know her?"

Daryl sighed. "It's a long story."

"I got time."

* * *

Carol opened two cans of fruit and leaned against the counter, waiting for Daryl to come back with the water so she could start the oatmeal. The task should have only taken a few minutes, but it was going on ten and still no Daryl. However, she could hear the murmur of voices and wondered if Rick had stopped to talk with him. For what, she didn't know.

She walked over to the barred door to see the two men standing together. Daryl seemed to be the one doing all the talking while Rick listened with a straight face.

Carol cleared her throat loudly, causing Daryl to startle and turn around. "What's taking you so long?" She smiled and reached her arms through the bars, motioning with a hand for him to give her the water bottles.

"We were just talking a little bit, Carol," Rick answered. "I had a few questions for Daryl and he answered them for me."

"That's good. But can I have him back, now? He promised to help me with breakfast."

"Uh, sure," he said awkwardly.

"Uh, nice talkin' to you," Daryl said and walked to the door, keys in hand. Carol stepped back as he opened the door and took the water from his arms.

"I hope he wasn't grilling you," Carol said over her shoulder. "He can be a little...intense sometimes and things haven't been easy for him lately. I just hope he's not taking it out on you."

"He wasn't. He was just askin' me some questions, which he had a right to do. I'm kind of a stranger around here, you know?"

"Yeah, you are and I get where he's coming from, but you saved us." Carol placed the bottles on the counter and started to dump the water in a large pot on the stove. Daryl sat on the top of one the table closest to her and watched as she worked.

Daryl didn't say anything. He knew that he had helped save them, but agreeing with her seemed a little arrogant. Something Merle would do. He would have made sure Rick had known he had saved all of their asses and would have lorded it over all of them until they had done something for him in return.

"I hope you like oatmeal," Carol spoke, sensing that what happened at Woodbury was a subject that Daryl didn't want to talk about at the moment.

"I love it," he replied.

"Liar." Carol smiled.

"Well, it ain't bad," he chuckled a little, surprised that she had found him out so quickly. "Do you need help makin' it?" He felt a little useless just sitting there watching her do all the work. It didn't matter that he had retrieved the water for her.

"No, I'm okay. You can just keep sitting there, looking pretty."

Daryl felt his face grow red. "Should be sayin' that about you," he said shyly and quickly looked away from Carol when she turned and made eye contact with him. He couldn't believe he had said that, but he would never take it back.

"Thanks," she said, happily. "No one has said that to me in a  _long_  time."

"Really?" The word blurted out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"You knew how my husband was..."

"Fuck. Sorry! Didn't mean to-"

"It's all right," Carol reassured. "I shouldn't have brought it up." She went back to stirring the pot of oatmeal. Things seemed a little tense, now, and Daryl hated himself for it. He gnawed on the skin of his thumb and continued to watch Carol stir and then, pour the oatmeal into two bowls.

"Everyone should be up soon, but they can serve themselves," she handed him a bowl with a spoonful of canned peaches on top. "Do you want to go out to the yard and eat?"

"Sure." Daryl took the bowl and hopped off the table, eager for some more alone time with Carol.

* * *

Daryl and Carol sat at one of the tables outside in the yard. Carol took a seat across from Daryl and started to eat her oatmeal, only making a face at the fist bite. "When you have this almost every day, you start to get sick of it," she said, after taking another bite.

"It's good," Daryl said, shoveling a large bite in his mouth.

"You're sweet," she smiled.

"I try," he shrugged and felt his face grow hot. He wondered if there would ever be a time where he didn't blush around her.

"So, did you read them? My letters?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah." He dropped his spoon in his oatmeal and dug in his pocket for the two folded pieces of paper. "Here." He handed them to her and she took them with a look of sadness. "Uh, I was thinkin' that maybe later, we could...put them on their graves." She made a face. "Unless you don't want to," he quickly added. "I'd understand. They're personal."

"I let you read them, didn't I? Honestly, I would love to have company when I put them there." She blinked back tears. "With everything that's been going on the past few days, none of us have really had any time to grieve. Except Rick. He kind of lost his way a little when Lori died."

Merle had died just forty-eight hours ago and Daryl didn't know if he was in shock or what. He knew he should be feeling  _something_  at his death, but he wasn't feeling anything. Maybe it was all too fresh or his mind hadn't gotten the chance to process it with everything else that had been going on.

"If we have some down time, we can put a marker up for your brother."

Daryl had almost forgotten about that. "That would be nice." Mentally, he reminded himself to write his brother a letter. He just didn't know what to say. Not yet, anyway.

A door being slammed shut behind them had the two of them looking in the direction of the prison. Rick, Michonne and Carl walked out, empty bags slung over their shoulders. The green Hyundai was waiting close by. That morning, Rick must have gotten it ready while everyone was asleep.

"They must be leaving now," Carol stood and said.

"Yeah."

"Daryl," Rick called and waved him over. "Let me talk to you for a moment."

Standing from the table, he looked back at Carol and then, started to walk toward Rick. "Yeah?"

"Listen, like I said earlier is true. I don't fully trust you, but I need you to look after my people while I'm gone. I know you won't let anything happen to Carol and I need to know you'd do the same for everyone else."

"Look, I'll do it, but can't Glenn-"

"Glenn isn't in the right frame of mind right now to think of anything else besides the Governor."

Daryl gnawed on his lip for a moment. Never had he thought that he would be responsible fir taking care of a group of people he didn't know. It had just been him and Merle for so long and then, when they were at Woodbury, despite there being other people, he never felt responsible for their safety.

"I'll do it. Carol'll help."

"All right." Rick gave him a sharp nod and walked to join Carl and Michonne.

Daryl watched them leave and didn't know that Carol had joined his side until he turned and saw her standing there. "Everything okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. Rick just once us to keep an eye on the place while he's gone."

"We got this," she nudged him with her shoulder and smiled.

"U-Uh yeah, we do."

Carol left his side and went to the table where they had been eating. "Let's finish breakfast and make sure everything is fine inside the prison before we head to the graves."

"Okay."

* * *

_Merle,_

_Hell, I don't know what to say in this damn thing. I thought the note I left you in Woodbury would be the only thing I wrote to you, but I was proven wrong. You had to go and get your ass killed._ _It all happened so fucking fast. You were there, yelling at us to go and the next, you were lying on the ground. I didn't get even get to say goodbye and I don't even have a body to bury._

_You're probably laughing at from wherever you for writing this letter. I don't care._

_I wish you could have been with this group. They are much better people than the Governor. But I understand why you wanted to stay, even though it killed you in the end._

_I wish we had more time together, even though we were together for must of my life._

_Oh, and you were right about how I felt for Carol. Sometimes I hate how fucking observant you were._

_Love you, bro._

_Daryl_

It had been Carol's turn with the baby a few minutes after they had walked into the prison. She had taken the newborn from Beth, who looked relieved to have the use of her arms once more. While she was gently rocking and cooing to the baby, Daryl retreated to his room and decided to write Merle a letter.

He felt weird doing so and his mind had been blank on what to say, but soon he had a page. Now, all he needed was a grave to place it on.

After folding the letter, he laid flat on the bed. This was his home, now, and if it all went as planned, this would probably be the place he would live the rest of his life. Hopefully, a long life. However, the chances of that happening to him, to  _any_  of them, were slim.

Daryl let his eyes slide shut; only wanting to rest his eyes.

"Daryl?"

He bolted into a sitting position and saw Carol standing in the doorway, sans baby. "You off babysittin' duty?" He asked, swinging his legs over the side of bed and stood up.

"I was done with babysitting duty an hour ago."

"What?"

"Looks like you were more tired than you let on, so I let you sleep." She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway. "You didn't have to help me this morning. I knew you had to be exhausted."

"I'm fine, now." He slid Merle's letter into his pocket and reached for his crossbow by the door. Carol stepped back and let him walk out of the cell.

"You ready to head out to the graves? Hershel, Maggie, Beth and Carl are in the common area, Judith is taking a nap and Glenn is up in the guard tower." She chewed on her lip, looking concerned.

"You're worried about him?"

"Yeah, I am." They walked down the metal staircase and Daryl waited a minute as Carol checked on Judith one last time before walking through the common area. "I know what the Governor did was terrible, but we need him  _here_. Not chasing after some dream of revenge. The Governor is going to get his. We just have to worry about ourselves, right now. You know?"

"I get it."

"I'm surprised you aren't up there with him. Especially with what happened to your brother." Carol gasped and covered her mouth with both hands when she realized what she had just said. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay. It hasn't all settled in, yet. But believe me, I want that fucker dead. Even if he hadn't killed Merle, I would still want him dead. The guy is a monster."

"Then why were you with him?"

They stopped right before the chain link gate that would lead them to the graves in a part of the yard.

"I had just gotten reunited with my brother and I wasn't going to leave him, again."

Carol nodded. "I suppose we were lucky that you were there. Glenn and Maggie might not be here if it wasn't for you." Using a key, Carol put it in the padlock and turned. In the distance, Daryl could see mounds of dirt with wooden crosses marking them. From the bag at her side, she produced another wooden marker.

"This is for Merle," she said and handed it to him.

Daryl took and gently ran his fingers over his brother's name etched in the wood. She had actually spelled it right. Something pricked his eyes and he quickly blinked.

Carol grabbed his hand. "Are you ready for this?"

"Y-Yeah."


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

No words were said as they stood over the graves of Carol's friends and Merle's marker. Wordlessly they placed the letters at the bottom of the markers and anchored them down with a rock. They knew that the letters weren't weather resistant and during the first rainfall, the letters would be ruined. Carol and Daryl didn't care, though. The letters weren't meant to be read by anyone besides each other and the person they were meant for.

"If this place becomes a permanent place for us, I'd like to make this as a memorial for all those we lost. Not just ones here at the prison," Carol said softly as they walked back to the chain-link gate.

"You'd like to have a marker for Sophia?"

"Yes. And Jacqui, Amy, Dale and Shane, even if at the end he wasn't that nice of a man. He was still one of us and saved more than one of our lives at one time or another."

Daryl didn't know who Shane was. This was the first time the he had been mentioned around him. At his confused look, Carol clarified. "Shane was Rick's best friend. When Lori thought Rick dead, she and Shane got together."

"But Rick wasn't dead."

"No, and once he made his way to the quarry camp, Lori ended things with Shane. He wasn't the same after that and he lost his way. At the farm, he tried to kill Rick and Rick killed him instead."

Daryl didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say to that. He was just glad that he hadn't been involved in the obvious drama the rest of the prison group had most likely gone through with Shane.

"Sometimes, I think I can see Shane in Judith," Carol said gently. "I'd never say that to Rick. He  _just_  started to hold her. It doesn't matter if Shane is the father, anyways. He's dead and so is Lori."

"So, Judith, huh?"

"Yeah, Carl named her. Beth said that he wanted to name the baby Sophia or Lori or Carol. He wanted to name her after the women we have lost and at the time, they all thought I was dead."

"Carol would have been a good name," he teased and nudged Carol in the shoulder.

"Ha. Can you imagine two Carols in the prison?" She laughed softly.

"One's enough."

"Hey!" She protested and then, walked forward to open the gate for them. "But anyways, I think Judith is a good name for the baby. I guess it was the name of one of Carl's teachers."

"Good name, weird reason to want to name your baby sister, though."

Carol shrugged. "It's better than just calling her 'the baby'. With the way Rick was acting after her birth, she would have been nameless for a while if Carl hadn't stepped up."

"The boy acts older than he looks."

"He has a reason to. He had to put down his mom. She died giving birth to Judith and to make sure she wouldn't come back as one of them."

"Fuck," he sighed. "Poor kid."

"Yeah." They walked past the guard tower. Looking up, they saw Glenn facing out of the prison with a shotgun in his hand. He didn't even look down when they walked by. Gone was the curious, hopeful young man and here was the vengeful man, who wouldn't rest until the Governor was dead.

Once inside the prison, Carol went to the stove to prepare dinner. Beth shadowed her, hoping to learn a few things. Carl held his sister at a table with Hershel and Maggie, who still looked haunted after her ordeal in Woodbury. Axel, the only convict left, was keeping to himself, though his gaze kept looking over Carol at the stove. Daryl made a note to keep an eye on the man, even if he turned out to be completely harmless.

Daryl didn't know what to do. Being new to the group, he yet to have a role. However, it never was in his nature to sit and twiddle his thumbs. But there wasn't much else to do at the moment. So, he set his bow down on a table and took out the red rag from his back pocket to set to work cleaning it.

"Are you any good with that?" A voice spoke from behind him. Daryl tensed, his shoulders hunching forward, knowing that the voice could be from one person.

"Wouldn't be carryin' it around if I wasn't," he answered and turned to face the blonde girl, who only moments before had been standing by Carol.

"I'm not very good with guns, yet. Or knives. Maybe, one day, you can teach me how to shoot that?" She pointed to the weapon on the table and smiled sweetly.

"Why?" He blurted.

The girl looked a little taken a back. "B-Because it would be a useful skill to have!" She smiled and batted her eyelash down at him.

"Not really. There's only one crossbow and it's mine. Learning how to shoot it would be useless. I think you should stick to learning how to use guns and knives."

"But-"

"Beth, honey. I thought you said you were going to help me," Carol called from the stove.

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Coming." Beth looked down at Daryl once more before hurrying over to Carol. Daryl mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Carol, who winked and focused her attention on the stove and Beth. The last thing he needed was for the girl to develop a crush on him. He was way too old for her and he wasn't into blondes. Not now and not ever, again.

The only woman he was into was Carol. That was it and it was always going to be it.

* * *

Rick, Michonne and Carl returned to the prison an hour after it had grown dark. The back of the green Hyundai was filled with weapons and Rick had a new stab wound that Hershel had to stitch up.

In Rick's hometown, they had run into an old friend of his. Morgan. Apparently, he had been a little off his rocker and had stabbed Rick in the chest during a tussle. In the end, they were allowed to leave with the guns.

"Everyone gets one," Rick said, pulling guns from the bag and passed them around. Even Beth was handed one. She took with wide eyes, but didn't say anything. "I wish we had time to properly teach you how to aim, Beth, but at this point just pointing and shooting will be fine."

Hershel wrapped an arm around his youngest. "You'll do fine, dear."

"Of course, we won't put you out there in the heat of the fight. You and your father will be the last resort when it comes to protecting Judith. We'll make sure it won't get that far." Beth and Hershel nodded.

"We don't know how they Governor will attack and what he will attack with, but we have to be ready. That means I want two people in the tower at all times. We're all going to be stretched thin after all of this is done, but we can do this. We can fight and we will win. There is no way we will lose this place. I won't let it." Quiet murmurs could be heard throughout their small group.

"Glenn and Maggie, I would like for you to take first watch. Hershel and Carl will relieve you in a few hours," he ordered. "Carol, you and Daryl will take the early morning watch after Hershel and Carl. Michonne and I will take watch after that. Does that sound good to everyone?"

No one protested.

"Good. Eat and rest up. These next few days won't be easy."

* * *

Carol yawned for the third time while they were on watch. The sun was slowly climbing in the sky and the soft pink of dawn gave away to the bright light of day. "If you keep doin' that," Daryl chuckled from where he rested against the railing. "I'm goin' to have to kick you out of the tower. Did you get  _any_  sleep last night?"

"Some." Carol shrugged. "With everything going on, it was hard to. I kept thinking about Judith and what would happen to her if the Governor attacked."

"She'd be fine because we're here to protect her."

"I'd die to save her," she quietly said. Daryl hoped beyond hope that it would never come down to that. To witness Carol dying would be the worst thing to happen to him. He had already witnessed the death of his brother; it would break him to lose her, too.

"I'd die to save you." The words were out of his mouth before he could even think about what they would sound like to her. Carol's eyes widened.

"Daryl? I-I don't understand. All this time, you have been so kind to me, you've protected me and now, you're saying you would die for me. Why?"

Daryl opened his mouth, ready to spill all when Carl's cry froze them in place. "Car!" The boy's shouts echoed in the yard. Daryl and Carol both turned to see a silver car approaching the gates, a cloud of dust following in its wake. Daryl trained his bow on the vehicle just as Carol did the same with her gun.

Rick and Michonne ran out of the cellblock. Michonne had a hand on her sword while Rick did the same with his pistol.

A blonde woman stepped out of the vehicles; hands raised and showed that she had no weapon. "It's just me," she said. "Are you going to let me in?"

Carol turned to Daryl. "It's Andrea."


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Things were a whirlwind once Andrea was allowed inside the prison. Rick handled her a little roughly, but the man had seen her at Woodbury and had every right to be suspicious of why she was there, now.

The two of them in the tower watched as Rick led Andrea to the cell block. Once they disappeared inside, Carol slipped the strap of her rifle over her head and let it settle along her back. "I'm going to see why she's here." There was also a desire to see her friend in her eyes.

"Go on. I'll keep watch just in case the Governor is using her as a distraction."

"Thank you." She went up on her toes and kissed him quickly on the cheek. "We'll talk more later, okay?"

Daryl remembered what he had been about to spill and his palms started to sweat. Had he really been about to tell Carol how in love he was with her? The answer was yes. "Sounds good. If you need me in there, just holler."

"Will do." Carol gave him one last smile and disappeared down the stairs. Daryl couldn't help but watch her until she was safely inside the cell block.

Earlier, he had been about to spill all and while the idea of actually doing it made him so nervous he almost felt sick, he knew it was about time something was said. Carol knew something was up with him and Daryl wasn't sure if he could keep it all inside any longer.

An hour or so later, Rick joined Daryl in the watchtower. The man looked troubled, but Daryl didn't ask what about. Thinking that his shift was done, he shouldered his bow and made a move to walk down the steps.

"Daryl, wait."

"Andrea isn't here to stay." Daryl gave him an odd look, confused on why the man was telling him this.

"She came with a message from the Governor."

He tensed. Oh.

"He wants to meet up and negotiate." Rick ran a hand down his face, looking more tired than normal. It seemed the hits just kept coming.

"Could be a trap," Daryl informed. "I can't see the Governor wanting to negotiate after what went down in Woodbury. We killed some of his men."

"I know. But I think we should still go and hear what he has to say. If Andrea knew where the prison was, he does too. We don't meet up and he can attack. If we do, maybe we can prevent somehow."

"Makes sense."

"I want you to come with."

This stopped Daryl, he had only been a part of this group for a few days and Rick already wanted him at his side.

"Glenn wouldn't be able to control himself around the Governor, so taking him is out of the question. Hershel will be coming along, as well."

"What about everyone here?" Daryl asked. "Do you think the Governor could be using this meeting as a decoy while he sends out an army to the prison."

"Shit. I didn't even think about that." This time he ran a hand through his hair. "We have escape plan. I'll instruct Carol, Glenn and Maggie that if they hear anyone approaching while we're gone, to enforce the plan and get the kids to safety." The plan was weak one, but it was better than nothing.

"Okay. I'll come."

"We'll be leaving tomorrow. Andrea will be leaving later today to tell the Govenor that we'll be meeting with him. Rest up." He clapped his shoulder and turned to start his time on watch. Daryl walked down the steps and went in search of Carol.

* * *

Daryl found Carol on the second floor of cell with baby Judith in her arms. He smiled and climbed up the steps to join her. However, Andrea materialized seemingly out of nowhere and stood at Carol's side. Daryl's steps faltered and he nearly tripped on the last stair.

"Oh, hey Daryl." Carol smiled at him as she rocked the baby. "Anything exciting happen while on watch?" Andrea turned to see who Carol was talking to and her eyes widened. But she stayed silent.

"Uh, no. Nothing exciting. Rick's out there, now."

"What are  _you_  doing here, Daryl?" It looked like Andrea couldn't keep her mouth closed for long.

"He helped get Glenn and Maggie out of Woodbury," Carol supplied. "And he didn't want to stay there, anymore."

"Oh."

"Uh, yeah." Daryl shrugged, feeling extremely awkward. While Andrea had been in Woodbury, he had never spoken to her before. Of course, Merle had taken every chance he got to talk with the blonde.

"I'm really sorry about your brother, Daryl."

"You shouldn't be the one who's sorry. The Governor is the one who will be sorry." Anger rushed through him. "The guy is a psycho and he killed my brother. He deserves to die." Andrea snapped her mouth shut and didn't look to be opening it any time soon.

The anger left Daryl just as quickly as it came when he saw the concerned look on Carol's face. "Sorry about that. I'm just going to go take a nap." He pointed to his cell and walked by the two women without another word.

Taking a nap was what he really planned on doing, but his eyes perked up when he heard Carol's soft voice say, "You know he's right, Andrea. That man you're with, the Governor, he needs to die. Not just because he killed Merle but because of what he did to Glenn and Maggie."

"Carol, I know. He needs to go. But how do I do that?" Daryl crept closer to the door, but made sure to stay out of sight. Peeking around the edge, he saw Carol place Judith back in the crib and turn to Andrea. Even though her back was to him, his keen ears could still pick up what was being said.

Carol pulled out the knife from her waistband and held it out toward Andrea, not in a menacing way. "You need to sleep with him, Andrea." The blonde woman looked shocked. Carol continued, "Give him the night of his life and while he's asleep, stab him."

Andrea wasn't the only one shocked. Daryl couldn't believe the words coming out of Carol's mouth. They were brutal and...hot. He was glad that he was in the privacy of his cell. Now, if Andrea actually did what Carol suggested, a lot of their problems would be solved.

"You can end this, Andrea. You make sure the Governor doesn't anyone else again."

"I don't know if I can, Carol."

Carol grabbed Andrea's hand and placed the knife in it. "You're strong, Andrea. You can do this. I believe in you." Andrea's fist closed around the knife and she slipped it into the waistband of her jeans before pulling Carol into a hug.

Daryl decided that it was time to take that nap.

* * *

A weight settled at the end of his bed causing him to jerk awake. The room was much darker than when he had gone to bed. "Good evening, Daryl. You hungry?" Even if he couldn't see her face clearly, Daryl knew that it was Carol sitting at the end of his bed.

"Yeah. I am."

"Good. Come on, supper is ready."

Daryl swung out of the bed and followed Carol to the common room where everyone was gathered at the tables. Each had a bowl of something in front of them. "Smells good," he said.

"It better. I made it." They walked over and Carol handed him a bowl. It looked like chili. "Oh, and Andrea left earlier and  _when_ were you going to tell me that you were meeting the Governor tomorrow."

Daryl nearly choked on his bite of chili. "I didn't think you would care."

"Of course I would! That man is a killer and you're going to meet him." She crossed her arms and paced a little. Luckily, no one else was paying attention to them.

"Rick said he wants to negotiate with us. If that can stop him from attacking the prison, then we need to do it." Carol bit her lip and didn't say anything else. Instead, she turned back to the pot on the stove and stirred it.

Daryl wanted to reach out to her, but before he could, Rick appeared behind. "Daryl, I'd like to go over the plan for tomorrow."

"Uh okay," Daryl agreed. He looked at Carol one last time, but saw that she was still not looking his way and continued to stir the pot. Daryl knew that she was upset, but he didn't know how to fix it.

It was getting late when Hershel, Rick and Daryl were done going over everything for the next morning. Everyone had retired to their cells, except for Carol, who was on watch. When Rick dismissed them, Daryl stood and intended to go sit on watch with Carol. Rick stopped him before he got too far.

"I'm sorry, Daryl. You need your rest for tomorrow. Carol will be fine on her own." Daryl wanted to ignore him, but knew that Rick was right. He'd talk to Carol in the morning. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too upset to speak with him.

But... _why_  was she upset? They had only known each other for a few days. Was it possible that she was starting to have feelings for him, too? A smile was on his face before he could stop it. That night, the smile was still on his face as he fell asleep.

* * *

Daryl woke the next morning, feeling rested. Something that had been rare since the world had ended. The nap from before had probably helped. At least he knew now that he would be ready to go when they met up with the Governor.

The plan was to check out the place before the Governor arrived to make sure the place wasn't rigged. Afterwards, Rick and Blake would go inside the building while Hershel and Daryl stayed outside and kept an eye out. Hershel, with his one leg, would stay in or around the truck, for a quick get away and Daryl would make sure no one went into the building, especially anyone that was with the Governor.

If everything went as planned, they would negotiate a plan and Woodbury and the prison would remain separate.

However, Daryl knew that things didn't always go as planned.

He was one of the last ones to walk into the common room. Beth and Carl had baby Judith in her carrier on one of the tables rocking her. Michonne sat nearby by herself, but continued to glance over towards the baby. Glenn and Maggie were on watch. Rick and Hershel were fueling the car up and Carol was no where in sight.

With a granola bar in hand and two more in his pocket, Daryl walked into the sunlight. It was almost time to leave. He could see Rick and Hershel by the green Hyundai and when they saw him, Rick waved him over.

"Daryl, wait!" The sound of his name had him stopping and he turned to see Carol jogging up to him from the opposite way of Hershel and Rick.

"Yeah?" He asked, trying not to stare to long at her chest as she ran up to him in a red tank top.

"Be careful out there, okay?" She stopped in front him.

"I will. The Governor is the one who needs to be careful." Honestly, it was a good thing he wouldn't be in the same room as the man because there probably wouldn't be anything that would stop him from putting a bolt in his head.

"All right. Um..." She bit her lip, again. Looking a little unsure. Daryl was about to say something when Carol went up on her toes and kissed him right on the mouth. He was so shocked he didn't have time to kiss her back.

"Uh..."

"Make sure you come back so we can share a proper kiss...okay?"

"O-Okay." Now, Daryl wanted this meeting to go back fast so he could get back to Carol. And of all the things that could have happened to him that morning, a kiss from the woman he loved wasn't one that he ever expected.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

The kiss was the only thing that was going through Daryl's mind as he sat in the back seat of the Hyundai. Focusing on the Governor and the upcoming meeting should be what he was thinking about, but the feel of Carol's soft lips was imbedded in his mind. Though, it wasn't the first time they had kissed, it was the first time Carol had actually kissed him back. With that kiss came possibilities. Possibilities that Carol could start to love him. Possibilities that they could be together.

He felt like a lovesick teenager.

So deep in thought he was, Daryl didn't know they had stopped until Rick was turning in his seat to look at him. Looking around, he saw that they had stopped in the middle of the road with no sign of their meet up spot in place.

"Daryl, you with us?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah."

"All right, man. You just looked miles away for a moment. I just want to make sure your heads in the right place before we get to the meet up point."

Daryl pulled his crossbow closer. "I'm okay now."

"Good. And listen, Daryl, I know I should have taken this into consideration before I asked you to join us, but I know the Governor was responsible for your brother's death. I can't have you doing anything rash when we meet with him."

Daryl didn't say anything.

"If you can do that, then I'm going to have to ask you to get out of the car. We can't afford to make mistakes now."

"You don't have to worry about me. I want the fucker dead, but I won't risk our lives to do it. You can trust me." Rick's mouth remained in a tight line, but he nodded and signaled for Hershel to continue driving. Daryl turned his attention back out the window, this time thinking of how much control he would have to have to not shoot a bolt between the Governor's eyes.

Driving up to the abandoned building, the three of them saw that they were the first ones there. Instead of staying in the car, Rick climbed out of the vehicle the moment Hershel put it in park. Daryl had no choice but to follow. "I want to check this place over real quick before they show. If the Governor planted anything, we'll find out."

Daryl knew that it was a good time. He wouldn't put it past the Governor to booby trap the place before they could show. Rick went inside the building to scour the place and Daryl took the outside. One of the walls, a broken window gave him a perfect view of a table and two chairs. The place where Rick and the Governor would be meeting. It would be a perfect lookout to make sure Blake didn't try anything.

They met back in the front of the building. "All clear?" Rick asked.

"All clear."

"Just in time, too," Hershel said from the open window. A black SUV pulled up next to the green Hyundai a few seconds later. Rick and Daryl made sure to look as if they were just standing there waiting.

Once the SUV was parked, all four doors opened and four people piled out. Daryl's hand brushed his crossbow, but when he saw who stepped out of the vehicle, he allowed his hand to settle back at his side. Along with the Governor, Martinez, Milton and  _Andrea_  stood there.

Four against three. But was Andrea considered to be against them? And how useful would  _Milton_  be in a fight?

"I see you arrived early," the Governor's smooth voice flowed over Daryl's skin like oil.

"Only by a few minutes," Rick answered.

The Governor held out an arm to the door. "Well, shall we get this over with?" Rick didn't say anything, just allowed Martinez to open the door of the building and slipped inside. The door was shut once the two men walked in and the rest of them were forced to wait outside.

Milton was the first to approach, a quizzical look on his face. "You're with  _them_  now? They were the ones who attacked Woodbury."

"They only came to rescue two of their own," Daryl growled. He had always liked Milton, but the man seemed to be clueless when it came to the actions of Phillip Blake.

Milton seemed torn, unsure whether to believe what Daryl had said or not. "The couple? Phillip said that-"

"Phillip lied. And he's the reason why my brother is dead."

"I-I see."

Daryl softened his tone when he saw that he was scaring the poor man. "Rick's good people. The Governor is not. Pay attention more and you'll see."

The bespectacled man only nodded and walked past Daryl to stand near Martinez, who had taken vigil outside of the door. Andrea had been sitting on a bench outside of the door, along with Hershel, who had crutched from the Hyundai while Daryl and Milton had been talking. When she saw that Daryl was alone, she stood and made her way to him. Daryl groaned. Was a line forming just to talk with him? Would Martinez be next?

"So, are you goin' to do what Carol suggested?" The words blurted from his mouth once the blonde woman stopped in front of him and he didn't regret them.

"What?" She placed a hand on her hip and gave him an odd look.

"I heard what Carol told you yesterday. Are you goin' to do it? It would save all of us a hell of trouble."

"If things go well in there, then I won't have to." The words were said with mock confidence and Daryl saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Do you really think that snake of a man is goin' to keep up his side of the bargain?"

"Why would he go back on them? There's nothing at the prison he would want. This is only happening because Ri-"

"Came to save two of his own. Glenn and Maggie. Remember them?" Daryl finished, knowing that wasn't what she was going to say. Daryl had only known Rick for a few days, but he knew the man was fiercely loyal to those he considered family.

Conflicting emotions warred on Andrea's face, but when she didn't say anything, Daryl stepped in once more. "You need to pick a side, Andrea. Michonne saved your life and is at the prison, where your old group is at, as well. Are you goin' to pick the man you're sleepin' with over your family?"

Andrea looked as if she wanted to slap him and Daryl braced himself, knowing that he deserved it. However, Andrea had needed to hear his words. But he was a stranger to her. If she wouldn't listen to Michonne or Carol, why would she listen to him?

When Martinez came up to him, Daryl rolled his eyes. "So, your number came up, didn't it? How can I help you?" He leaned against the SUV and waited for Martinez to speak.

"Things have been crazy at Woodbury since Merle was killed."

"Well, you have crazy runnin' the place."

"You're right." Martinez leaned against the SUV with him. "Something else happened the night Woodbury was attacked. The Governor wouldn't be acted like this if there wasn't. He's out for blood."

"Whose blood?"

"No one knows."

* * *

A half hour later, Rick and the Governor emerged from the building. Rick's face was neutral, but the Governor had a smug grin on his face. That didn't look good.

"You have two days to meet my terms, Rick." With a jerk of his head, Milton, Martinez and Andrea walked to the SUV. Daryl made sure to make eye contact with Andrea as she walked to the side of the SUV they were standing by.

"Remember what I said," he reminded her before climbing into the Hyundai. Rick started to drive off before Andrea climbed into the SUV and not once did Daryl look away from her. Once she couldn't be seen anymore, Daryl turned his attention to the front.

"What were his terms, Rick?" Hershel asked from the driver's seat.

"He wants Michonne."


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

"You ain't goin' to give her to him, are you?" Daryl poked his head between the two front seats. "That's a death sentence for her."

"And if I don't, it's going to be a death sentence for everyone back at the prison. For Carol," he looked right at Daryl. "And for Beth and Maggie." This time his gaze was on Hershel, whose hands tightened on the steering wheel.

"Then, we need to leave! That way no one will have to die."

"I can't take Judith out on the road."

Daryl fell back into his seat, angry and frustrated. Even when he wasn't in Woodbury, the Governor still had some part in his life. And why the hell did he want Michonne? She hadn't been at Woodbury long and had stayed under the Governor's radar. Or so he had thought.

"Listen, Daryl. She hasn't been with us long, she-"

"I haven't been with you all long, either." They made eye contact in the rearview mirror and Daryl felt sick. "If he had wanted me, you would have given me right then. Wouldn't you have?"

Rick remained silent and focused his attention out the window. Daryl supposed he understood where the man was coming from. He had a family to think about and he and Michonne were just some random people they happened across.

There was a tense silence in the vehicle as Hershel drove them back to the prison. When they stopped in front of the gate and waited for Carl to open it, Rick turned in his seat. "We have to keep this to ourselves until we figure out what we're going to do."

"So, you're not goin' to give her up?"

Rick ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I don't know, yet.

* * *

Hershel parked the car by the door to the cellblock where Maggie and Beth were waiting for him. They engulfed their father in a hug when his one-foot and crutches were firmly set on the ground. Carl was also there to give Rick a hug, as well. Daryl climbed from the vehicle and looked around for Carol. He found her standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest. When she saw him looking, the smile on her face brightened and she waved.

"Michonne is up in the tower and Glenn is with Judith," Carl debriefed Rick and followed his dad into the cellblock. "How did things go with the Governor?"

"Later, Carl. I'll let everyone know later." Later would be when he finally decided what they would do to Michonne. Daryl hoped that Rick would make a choice that he would be able to live with.

"Everything go okay?" Carol met him at the door and fell into step next to him.

"I suppose as good as things could go. No one died and Andrea was there."

"Oh?" Carol looked up at him.

"We had a few words."

"Like?"

"Basically just repeated what you said to her yesterday and told her that she needed to choice a side."

Carol stopped and stepped in front of Daryl. "You heard me yesterday? I thought you were taking a nap in your cell."

Daryl flushed at being caught. "I did take a nap, but not before I heard you tell Andrea that she needed to sleep with the Governor and then, kill him." Carol bit her lip and looked down. Daryl tilted her chin up with a finger. "It was a perfect plan."

"I just want him gone and I know Andrea can do it. She _needs_ to do it."

Daryl let his hand drop from her face, though it was the last thing he wanted to do. "She does because if she doesn't, things could get ugly. Rick will have to make some tough decisions."

"Tough decisions, like what?"

Daryl looked around to see that everyone had settled in the common room. Rick said he would tell everyone the Governor's terms later, but Daryl wanted to tell Carol now. "Come with me," he said. Carol followed him to his cell and Daryl closed the curtain over the bars.

"The Governor wants Michonne." Carol gasped and covered her mouth with a hand. "If he doesn't get her, he'll attack the prison."

"He can't do that! She's a part of our group, now. Just like you."

"If he doesn't, more people will die. I told you that he had some tough decisions to decide." He sighed and took a seat on his mattress. Carol paced his cell for a few seconds before joining him on the bed.

"What would you do?"

He shrugged. "I'd leave here and get as far from Woodbury and that psycho as possible. There has to be other places out there that we can stay at. This place isn't worth dying over."

Carol sighed and fell to her back on the mattress. "We were on the road for a long time. We were beat down, tired. Lori was about to pop. This place was a Godsend. If he had to spend any more time on the run, we wouldn't have made it. Now, we have a newborn."

"I understand." Daryl lay down, too. "But if we don't go, we'll be killed. I can't...I can't let that happen to you." Carol propped herself up on her elbow at the words. Studiously, he avoided her eyes, but when she cupped his cheek and turned it to face him, he had no choice but to look at her.

"I was worried about you while you were out there," she whispered. "I tried to keep busy with doing laundry and looking after Judith, but my mind kept going to you." Daryl grabbed the hand on his cheek, but didn't move it away. Things grew intimate

Without thinking, Daryl leaned up and smashed his mouth to Carol's. The action surprised her as their teeth mashed together, but he quickly softened the kiss. The hand on his cheek went to his hair and Daryl pulled her on top of him. She squeaked at how suddenly close they were. However, the surprise didn't last long before she was kissing him some more.

A few minutes later, Carol was climbing from him. Daryl wasn't ashamed to admit that he whined at the lost. However, Carol wasn't leaving, she was situated herself on his bed and placed her head on his pillow. Daryl was going to her even before she raised her arms to reach for him.

He couldn't believe they were actually doing this. Daryl buried his head into her neck and nipped and sucked along the skin there. "I don't understand why I feel this way," Carol said, her voice breathy. "We just met and yet..." She stopped when he lifted his head to look her in the eye.

"I love you." The words weren't planned, but when he looked down at her in that moment, he knew he needed to say them. "When I first saw you and that little girl..."

"Was it love at first sight?" Her lips curled up slightly at the edges.

"I don't know. But I do know that I wanted to get to know you more. I wanted to beat the bastard that put his hands on you."

Carol bit her lip. "Let's not bring him into this. Not now, anyway. Not when we're..." Her cheeks pinked.

"Sorry." He kissed along her jaw before pressing another kiss to her mouth. "But what I said is true. I love you. I read your letters, I learned a little more about you. Then, when I finally met you, it was better than I could have ever imagined."

"Even though the first time we met was when we broke into Woodbury." She smiled brightly.

"Yeah, even then." Carol's hands slipped under his shirt and the feel of her cool hands on his heated hands made him close his eyes.

"I don't know if I'm love with you...yet. But I'm close." She moved to pull his shirt over his head. " _So_ close."

* * *

Carol's chest was heaving when Daryl rolled off her and pulled her close on the thin mattress. It had been a _long_ time since a man had made her feel this way and it was from a man she had just met a few days ago. A man who had seemed to be in love with her _before_ they had even properly met.

His strong arm was banded across her waist and his breath evened out against her cheek. Like every man, he looked to be falling asleep right after they just had sex...or making love, as she would take to calling it now. Especially with Daryl. Carol buried herself deeper into the warm cocoon of his body and allowed her eyes to fall closed, feeling safe for the first time in a _long_ time.

An hour later, someone was knocking on the bars outside of Daryl's cell. Carol's eyes shot open to find that she was facing Daryl in bed. His eyes opened a little more slowly; seemingly uncaring that someone was waiting outside of his cell while they were lying there naked.

"Carol, are you in there?" It was Rick.

Carol leaped from the bed and went in search of her clothing. Luckily, nothing had flown out the cell door in Daryl's haste to get her naked. "Uh, yeah. I'm here."

"Can I come in?"

"No!" She said a little too loudly. "I mean, I'm not decent. I'll be out in a few." She slipped her shirt over her head and turned to see Daryl sitting on the bed, her panties between his fingers and a large smirk on his face. She reached for them, but Daryl jerked them away. Carol didn't know he could be this playful.

"Daryl," she whispered and reached for them, again.

"Carol? Is there someone else in there?" The curtain rustled. Rick hadn't left, yet.

"No," she quickly answered and glared at Daryl, knowing she couldn't say anything to him unless they wanted to be found out.

"Okay."

Daryl finally allowed her to grab her underwear and Carol quickly put them on, along with her pants. However, Daryl was just sitting there on her bed with only a thin sheet covering his nakedness. Carol bent down and picked up his pants and shirt, silently asking if he wanted them to put on. Instead of grabbing them, Daryl stood, allowing the sheet to fall and took a step toward Carol.

"No fair," she whimpered when he pulled her close and kissed her. "I don't want to talk to Rick now," she whispered in his air as his hands roved. That morning, they had shared a chaste kiss and now, it looked as if they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other.

"If you don't, he'll come in here," he said with his face buried in her neck. "And I'd rather not have him see me buck-ass naked."

"Get dressed in, then." She took a step away from him. "See you later." She stopped before the curtain and took a deep breath before walking out. The last thing she wanted Rick to notice was the flush on her cheeks. It wouldn't take him long to figure out what had been going on.

* * *

Daryl slipped on his boxers and pants, but nothing else. From where he stood, he could hear Rick and Carol descend the metal stairs and leave the cellblock. However, he decided to stay in her cell and lie on her bed.

Not once did he think things would have escalated like they did when they walked into Carol's cell earlier. He didn't regret a thing and it looked like Carol didn't either. However, there was one thing he wasn't sure of. Was it really the time to sleep with one another? They had just gotten back from the Governor, who had told Rick he wanted Michonne. They could possibility be attacked at any moment.

They could also be dead at any moment. So...it was okay.

Daryl placed his hands behind his head and planned on waiting there until Carol came back. He wondered why Rick wanted to speak with her.

* * *

Rick waited outside of Carol's cell, foot tapping in his impatience. In a few hours, he would debrief the rest of the group on what had gone with the Governor. But first, he needed to speak with Carol. He needed someone to be on his side. To save his family, he needed to give up Michonne. It was the only way and he hoped Carol would see that.

* * *

Rick didn't stop until they were outside in the yard and far away from everyone else in the group. Whatever he wanted to say, it was clear that he didn't want to risk being over heard. Carol didn't know how she felt about that. Since Shane's death, Rick had confided in her and Glenn more, now. But with the way Glenn was at the moment that only left Carol.

"What's going on, Rick?" She asked when they finally stopped. Thankfully, they were standing in the shadow of one of the guard towers. The day was already hot enough as it was, she didn't even want to think about how it would feel to stand directly in the sun.

Rick turned to look at her. "Has Daryl told you anything about the meet with the Governor? You two have been attached to the hip lately."

 _Well, not_ exactly _to the hip_ , Carol mused for a moment before answering. "No," she lied. For some reason, she felt the need to lie. "He hasn't told me a thing. Why?"

"The man plays on killing all of us." She gasped, even though Daryl had told her the same thing a few hours before. "Even Judith. Unless..." The last part, though, hit hard. What made her think that psycho would spare a baby?

"Unless, what?" Carol knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Unless we give him Michonne."

"What? Why would he want her?"

Rick started to pace a little in front of Carol. "When she was at Woodbury, she did something, something terrible. The Governor didn't tell me what, but he wants his revenge."

"He'll kill her."

"If we don't give her up, he'll kill _us."_

Carol understood why Rick had brought her out by herself. No one else knew about the meeting except for Daryl and Hershel. She knew that Daryl didn't agree with what Rick wanted to do and she couldn't see Hershel agreeing, either.

"What do you want me to do?" Carol felt sick. This man was putting a woman's fate in her hands and she didn't like it.

Rick looked uncomfortable with the question and was silent for a moment. "I...don't know," he finally said with a sigh of defeat.

"No one else is going to want to give her up. If we do, what does that say about our humanity?"

"I can't have him kill my children."

"I know. None of us can have that either. If this man is such a threat to us, we need to get out of here. Find another place to call home." They seemed to be having the same argument over and over. Rick didn't say anything to that and brushed past Carol.

"How long do we have to give him Michonne?" She asked his back.

"Two days."

"That enough time to get ou-"

"I'll discuss what we should do with the group later." Rick dismissed her and continued walking.

The talk had lasted for only ten minutes, but Carol felt exhausted.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Carol made her way back to her cell. Her mind was in a fog. Beth called to her as she passed through the common room and Carol only had the energy to wave at the girl before walking into the cell block. Rick hadn't been in the room and she wondered if he was down in the tombs, again, hacking at walkers.

When she pulled back the curtain covering the doorway, she was surprised to find that Daryl was still there. However, instead of lying in her bed naked, like he had been when she left, he at least had a pair of pants on. When he saw her, he made a move to sit up, but she waved him back down and crawled into the bed next to him.

"Everythin' okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I just want to sleep for a week. Maybe when I get up, this whole mess will be solved." Her back was to him, but she was pressed as close as possible to his side.

"What did Rick want to talk to you about?"

"Michonne."

"What?" The bed shifted and he leaned up on his elbow so he could look down at Carol. Carol didn't move to look up at him. She remained still.

"I think he wanted me on his side when it came to whether we should give Michonne up or not." Her eyes didn't leave the stone wall in front of her and her head laid flat on both her hands. With her back to him, she couldn't see Daryl's reactions to her words.

"And what did you say?"

"I told him what I told you. We can't give her up and we need to leave. I fear he's disappointed in me that I wouldn't choose his children over a woman we just met." Finally, she turned on her back and looked him in the eye.

"You didn't choose Michonne over the baby and Carl," Daryl reassured. "You gave him a choice where you wouldn't have to choose."

"Maybe if Sophia was still with me, I...I would be like Rick. But..." Her throat clogged up at the mention of her late daughter. Her beautiful Sophia. Who she would have died to protect.

"I don't think you would have been any different," Daryl said, his voice soft. "You would have wanted to keep Sophia safe, yes, but I don't think you would condemn an innocent woman to do so. You would still want to leave and save Michonne. Wouldn't you?" The way his eyes bore into hers made Carol think he was staring right in her soul. This time when she teared up, it wasn't because she missed Sophia, but because this man seemed to know her so well and they had only just met.

"I...think you're right." She cupped his cheeks and gave him a watery smile. How had she been so fortunate to have this man in her life, now?

"I think I am too," he said a little smugly before leaning down to kiss her. He was more confident with her, now. Especially after what had transpired between them only an hour before. He went back down on the bed and pulled her close.

"Rick said he would tell everyone later. Do you think he'll do it tonight?"

"Don't know. I think he needs to think over some things before bringing the issue of Michonne up to everyone. Especially with the woman right there." He kissed the back of her head, acting as if he had been with Carol forever. "For now, rest."

"I can do that." Daryl pulled the sheet to cover the both of them. Carol didn't care if anyone were to come looking for them and found them both in the same bed. She had nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed about. Daryl had only been in her life for a few days, but it was almost as if he had been in it forever.

* * *

No one came to get them for a while and when they did, it wasn't for a meeting but for dinner. Carol was sleeping quietly in his arms and Daryl was tempted to climb over her, once Maggie walked away from the front of the cell, to grab them two plates and come right back. But if he didn't want Carol to wake up while he was gone to see that he had left.

"Sweetheart," the endearment felt natural coming out of his mouth. "You need to get up. It's time to eat." Fortunately, it didn't take that many shakes to wake Carol up.

"I'm starving," she mumbled.

"Perfect timin', then." Daryl allowed Carol to get up from the bed before he climbed out himself. Before he pushed back the curtain to follow Carol, he groped around for his shirt. It was okay for Carol to see the scars on his skin, but not anyone else.

The cell block had grown considerably darker with the setting of the sun and Carol was only a silhouette as she waited for him at the top of the stairs. There were a few candles scattered throughout the block, giving off enough light so people could see where they were stepping and not trip. This had become even more important now that Hershel had to get around on crutches.

Carol kissed him one last time before descending the stairs. Daryl was sad to see that their time together would be over. Though Rick had taken Carol away for a little bit, it had almost felt as if they were in their own little bubble and that it was just the two of them.

When they walked into the room, everyone was there. Except Rick. Even Michonne was sitting at one of the tables with a bowl of something in front of her. Her mind seemed somewhere else as she took a bite.

The Greene sisters were standing next to the pot of food. Carol walked up to them. "So, who cooked?" She asked with a smile.

"I did," Maggie answered.

"Good. It's safe to eat, then." With a wink at the younger Greene, she pulled her in for a quick hug before grabbing the two bowls Maggie was offering her.

Carol followed Daryl to one of the tables, which was a table near Michonne. Though, they didn't say anything to the woman as they settled in to eat, they wanted to be near in case Rick brought up the situation with the Governor that evening. Carol knew that they wouldn't be the only ones who would go against Rick's decision. Just because they had lost a lot in the past didn't mean they had lost their humanity as well.

The room was full of quiet murmurs as different family units sat at different tables around the room. Carl sat with Judith in a carrier by his feet. Glenn, Maggie, Beth and Hershel sat at a table by Carl. Everything went silent when Rick walked through the door from the prison yard. His face was like stone and instead of grabbing a bowl of food and a seat, he went right up to the table where Carol and Daryl were sitting.

Ignoring Carol, he looked right at Daryl. "Once you're finished, Daryl, we need to talk." The tone of his voice suggested that it wouldn't be a pleasant talk either.

"All right," Daryl responded calmly. "Give me a few minutes to finish here."

Rick nodded sharply. "I'll be outside." Without another word to anyone else in the room, and not even a glance towards his children, Rick turned on his heel and walked out the door he had just come through. Everyone's conversations had ceased and they all looked at Daryl.

"I don't like it," Carol whispered, not wanting to be heard.

Daryl shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Probably just wants to talk more about the problem with the Governor."

Carol was rubbing her arms and gnawing on her lip. "I don't think that's it." She looked up at him with watery blue eyes. "Don't let him bully you, okay?"

"I ain't." He wished he could cup her cheek or something, but didn't want to oust his relationship with Carol right there. Especially not when Rick seemed pissed with him for some reason.

Daryl finished his meal in a few more large bites before taking up his empty bowl. Carol hadn't touched her food since Rick had walked into the common room. He knew she was worried about whatever Rick planned on telling him and he was trying hard not to worry about it himself. After all, he was pretty sure he hadn't done _anything_ wrong. Up to the point, Daryl had done everything Rick had asked of him with no arguing or complaining. Daryl wanted to belong with this group. He wanted to be accepted. He hoped he hadn't done anything to jeopardize that.

Before leaving the room, he made sure to stop by Carol. Touching her gently on the elbow, he hoped that it conveyed that everything would be okay. However, when she looked up at him, eyes ready to spill over for some reason, it looked as if she wouldn't believe him even if he were to say the words aloud.

"I'll be back in a bit, okay?" Their exchange was being watched by every pair of eyes in the room except for the baby's and Daryl didn't care.

"All right. I'll be here. Waiting." She gave him a half-hearted smile.

Daryl nodded and walked out the door. Rick was pacing a few feet away and at the sound of the door opening, he stopped. It was nearly dark out and with no lights; it wouldn't be long before it would become hard to see.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Daryl asked, already wanting to get this over with. If he was going to get yelled at, for whatever reason, he wanted it to be done quick so he could back inside.

"You haven't been here long, Daryl," he stated.

"I know," Daryl replied slowly, confused that Rick was stating the obvious.

"You haven't been here long and already Carol hangs off your every word and treats you as if she has known you her whole life."

"Doubt Carol hangs off my every word," he mumbled. "Woman has a mind of her own, she don't need to look to me for guidance."

"And yet, I think she has."

Daryl didn't like where this was going. "What do you mean?"

"Did you tell her about Michonne?" Rick asked, but Daryl knew that he already knew the truth.

"Yes," he answered. "I did." He wasn't even going to justify himself. Rick probably wouldn't care what he had to say anyway.

"And did you tell her your stance on it?"

"I did," Daryl said once more.

Rick's face grew hard and his blue eyes turned to ice. "So, it's no wonder when I told Carol about the plan, she answered almost in the exact way you did."

"Now, you hold on." Daryl was angry, now. How dare the man think Carol was his parrot? "Carol didn't like the plan and it wasn't just because I didn't. She would have answered the same fuckin' way if I hadn't told her a damn thing!"

"You've known Carol for _a week_. I've known her for months and I know she would do anything to protect this group. We're her family. You're just a man that showed her a little attention."

Daryl's fist connected with Rick's jaw before he could even register what he was doing. Rick's head snapped to the side and he stumbled a bit, but didn't fall. Daryl didn't regret a thing. The man had no right to think of Carol like that. Like she was so desperate that she would hop in bed with any man that showed her some interest.

Instead of retaliating with a hit of his own, Rick looked back at Daryl. The area where he had been hit was already swelling up. "Look, I shouldn't have said that," he said, looking genuinely regretful. "Carol is one of the few people in this world I care about and who I consider a part of my family. But do you see where I'm coming from?"

Daryl let himself calm down a little. "I get that Carol is a part of your family, but you don't know her as well as you think. I know she'd do whatever needs to be done for her family. But send a woman to her death or worse? Especially when it can be avoidable? I don't think she'd go for it."

Rick was silent for a moment. Contemplating. The stress of leading was plainly seen in the lines on his forehead and around his eyes. Rick had aged ten years since the first time Daryl had met him those few weeks prior at the house. "We'll have a meeting in the morning to see what everyone thinks." He was unwilling to say that Daryl was right about Carol. "Michonne will not be present and neither will you."

Daryl opened his mouth to protest. After all, he was a part of this group now. Rick beat him to it. "I know what your stance is on this, but I want to see how Carol responds when you're not around and she's surrounded by her family." Daryl clenched his teeth and didn't say anything.

"You'll be with Michonne on watch," he said, making it sound like an order. Daryl wanted to refuse. If Rick wouldn't let him in on a group decision, why should he even listen to the man? But what else was he going to do while they were meeting?

"When you get back inside, can you tell Carol she's on watch tonight? I'll be the one who will relieve her." And just like that Daryl was dismissed. Rick turned and strode away from him and into the dark towards the tower. Daryl had no choice but to do go back inside.

Carol was sitting in the same spot he had left her in. Everyone else had seemed to head to bed or at least to their cells for the night. She was gnawing on the skin by her thumbnail when he walked up to her.

"Ain't that my thing?" He teased, hoping that it would ease the worry lines on her forehead.

Her thumb dropped from her mouth and she stood up. The worry was still there. "How did it go?"

"Good," he lied.

"What did he want to talk to you about?" Carol didn't think look completely convinced.

"He just wanted to go over some plans for if the Governor attacks," he lied, again and hated every second of it.

Carol's eyes glanced down at his hands and she gasped. "What happened?" She held up his right hand and for the first time, he noticed that the knuckles on his first two fingers were swollen. "Oh my God. You hit him."

"I did." That was the first truth of the conversation.

"Why? Did he hit you back?" She stepped closer and examined his face to find that there were no marks or bruises.

"No. After I hit him, he realized what he said was wrong and that was it." And that was all he was going to say about that. If Carol were to know what Rick had said about her, she would be upset with the man and that wasn't something she needed at the moment, anyway.

"So, he was angry with you about something." Carol bit her lip once more. "Because of me, wasn't it?"

"No," he quickly said. "It was because he didn't know you as well as he thought. It was no way your fault. Promise." Carol still didn't look convinced. "He wants you on watch tonight, though."

"Oh." She looked disappointment. "I thought that maybe we could...sleep together tonight. In the same bed," she spoke nervously. "It's been a while since I shared a bed with a man before." She looked up and gave him a sheepish smile.

Daryl's heart beat in overtime. They had slept together before, though it had been for a few hours and the way Carol was talking, it seemed like she wanted to make it a permanent thing. Which was more than fine with him. "When Rick relieves you for his watch, you can slip into my bed. If you want."

"I don't want to wake you up."

"I don't mind." Honestly, he would be glad if she were to wake him up when she crawled in next to him. That way he would know for sure that she was there in the bed with him.

"Okay." Placing a hand on his shoulder, she leaned up and kissed him quickly on the mouth. "I'll see you in a few." Daryl hoped that those few hours would go by quickly. He couldn't wait to have Carol in his bed again.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

When Daryl woke to find the sun up and no Carol in his bed, he panicked. Something must have happened for her to not slip under the covers and curl into his side. Throwing off the blanket and, not bothering with his boots, raced out of the cell and went straight to Carol's.

It was empty. The bed didn't look slept in, either.

Where was she? Dread settled in his stomach. Had something happened to her on watch and no one had thought to tell him?

In his haste to descend the stairs, he almost fell down them and stumbled into...Carol. He halted just in time so he wouldn't barrel her over, which was a good thing because she was holding Judith in her arms.

"What's wrong?" She took a look at his disheveled appearance and wild eyes.

"Where were you?" He asked. "I thought you would..." He trailed off, realizing he had an audience in Carl, who had just appeared from his cell, rubbing at his eyes.

"Rick asked me to sleep in his cell to keep an eye on Judith and Carl."

"Ain't that Beth's job?" He snapped. Rick didn't need Carol to keep an eye on his kids while he was on watch. That had just been an excuse. He hadn't wanted Carol to come to his cell. He probably thought that if they didn't spend any time together before the meeting, Carol's mind would be changed. Daryl had enough confidence in Carol to know that that wasn't going to be true.

"It is," she sighed. "I know why he asked...and I'm not happy about it."

"I'll kick his ass," he growled low enough so only Carol could hear. Carl had disappeared back into the cell only to return a few seconds later with the sheriff's hat on his head. Wordlessly, he went to gather Judith and made his way to the common rooms. Smells of something being cooked wafted to them.

"Don't," Carol said and placed a hand on his chest, now that her arms were free. "Rick has a lot on his mind, right now. I'm not saying that to excuse him," she clarified. "I want to kick his ass, too, for thinking I would let myself be easily swayed by a man again. No offense."

"None taken." He knew what she had meant. Ed had dictated her every move while they had been married and Daryl knew that now that she was free, Carol wouldn't allow herself to fall into the same trap.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek. "Why don't you get dressed, or at least put on some shoes, and meet me for breakfast? I'll save a spot for you." She took a step back and smiled, once more, down at his bare feet.

"All right. Give me a few."

"Careful up the stairs. Wouldn't want you to fall." She winked and turned to leave the room. Daryl watched her go before he took the stairs two at a time back to his cell.

* * *

Everyone was in the room when Daryl finally appeared with his crossbow on his back. Rick was at a table with Carl and Judith and Daryl only glanced in his direction once on his way to Carol. There was a large bruise on Rick's left cheek from where Daryl had hit him the night before. Daryl barely contained a smirk, not regretting a thing.

"Hello," Carol greeted and handed him a bowl of...oatmeal. At Daryl's look of distaste, she leaned forward and whispered, "Beth made it. Don't worry, though. I stole us some sugar packets." From behind her hand, she produced four white packets of sugar. Daryl wanted to kiss her. He couldn't, though. Not in front of everyone.

"You're the best," he said back.

Her cheeks pinked. "I try." Together, they walked to a table a little ways off from the rest of the group and as slyly as they could, emptied two packets each into their bowls. Daryl took the first bite and winced. It wasn't good, wasn't even okay, but he was hungry and the sugar helped. Some. Carol made the same face when she took her first bite, but continued to eat it.

"So," Carol started to say. "What does Ric-?"

"How do you guys like it?" A blonde head poked between the two of them and Daryl leaned back a little. He covered the top of his bowl so that no hair would get into his food.

"Oh, yes, Beth. It's...good," Carol said politely. Daryl snorted. Beth turned to look at him, a wide smile on her face.

"Do you like it, Daryl?" Under the table, Carol kicked him and mouthed 'be nice'.

"Uh. It's different." He forced a smile, hoping that it was enough for the girl to leave.

The girl clapped her hands in happiness. "That's great! Maggie let me do the breakfast this morning since she did dinner last night and you had Judith this morning, Carol. Maybe I can help out more often." Daryl couldn't fault the girl for wanting to pull her own weight, but if that weight included cooking, then she needed to go back to babysitting.

Before Carol could say anything else, Beth turned and went back to her father. Most likely to gush about her breakfast success. But from the look on the old man's face as he took each bite, Daryl could tell he didn't think it was a success either.

"What were you sayin' before you got interrupted?" Daryl turned back to Carol, who had been looking at Hershel and Beth as well with a little smile on her face.

"Oh. I was just going to ask if Rick had you doing anything before the meeting."

"I'm not going to the meeting," he said.

Carol was about to ask why, then understanding flashed across her face. "He's not letting you come, is he?"

"I didn't say that." There was a reason why he wasn't being allowed into the meeting and Daryl figured Rick wouldn't want him to tell Carol why. It would defeat the purpose of why he wanted him away.

"I understand what you're saying," she grumbled.

"Don't let it bother you." He gripped her shoulder and squeezed gently. "Just be you during the meeting and that'll show how much of a dumb fuck Rick's being." She smiled slightly at the name.

"Okay." She nudged his shoulder with hers. "Well, I can't eat anymore of this." She pushed the bowl away. "I have two granola bars in my cell. Do you want one?"

"Hell yes."

* * *

When they made it to Carol's cell, Carol went right to the night table beside her bed and opened a drawer to grab the granola bars. Daryl sat on her bed and nodded his thanks when Carol handed him one of the bars before taking a seat next to him. It was hard to believe that just yesterday they had made love in the same bed.

"What will you be doing while we have the meeting?" Carol asked in between bites, covering her mouth so he wouldn't see her chewing.

"Michonne and I will be on watch. Rick's an idiot if he thinks she won't suspect somethin' is goin' on while we're up in the tower." He had practically inhaled his own bar and leaned back on his elbows. "That woman is damn near as observant as me."

"Maybe you two can listen at the door?" She winked and angled her body to face him better. He smirked at the idea.

"Can you imagine if we got caught?"

"Rick would be pissed," Carol answered with a smile. "But it would be the funniest thing. Well, to me anyway."

"Hmm."

With one fluid motion, Daryl grabbed Carol's wrist and pulled her body on top of his before kissing her soundly. In just two days, he had grown even bolder. Carol returned the kiss with just as much force.

"If only we had enough time..." he said between kisses. His hands slipped under her shirt and fingered the clasp of her bra. It was so tempting to just unclasp it and peel her shirt from her body. But they didn't have time. Honestly, he was surprised that Rick wasn't yell-

"Daryl! Carol! It's time."

"Fuck," he groaned. He had thought too soon.

Carol looked just as unhappy as she climbed up from him and straightened her shirt. Daryl was reluctant to stand. They had been so comfortable on the bed and the last thing they wanted to do right now was leave.

"Wait," Daryl grabbed Carol's wrist before she pulled back the curtain to leave.

"What is it?"

To her surprise, Daryl took both of his hands and ran them through her hair so that it stuck up in places on her head and with her mouth a little swollen as well, it wouldn't take long for Rick to figure out what they had been up to.

"You're terrible!" She exclaimed, but was smiling.

He shrugged. This time when they went to leave, Carol stopped him. "Let's make it even better." With deft fingers, she undid all of the buttons of his shirt, momentarily causing him to panic thinking that was how she wanted him to walk out, but then she rebuttoned them. Looking down, he saw that most of the buttons were in the wrong place. He'd fix them later.

"There," she beamed, proud of her work. "Now, there will be no doubt in his mind."

Daryl pulled her close and kissed her temple. "We're terrible."

Finally, when they made their way down the stairs, Rick gave them a disapproving glare, but didn't say anything about their appearances. "Michonne is already in the tower, Daryl. And everyone is waiting for you, Carol."

"Sorry," Carol said, not sounding the least bit sorry at all. Daryl winked at her before she was being led to where the rest of the group was sitting. Daryl walked across the room and out the door to the yard.

Michonne was leaning against the railing, eyes focused somewhere past the gates, when Daryl finally ascended the steps of the tower. "Do you think our ears will start to burn soon?" She turned and asked, surprising him. He thought this would be a quiet time on watch.

"What makes you think they'll be talkin' about us?"

She fixed him with a look. "I'm not stupid. That's why."

"Well, they ain't talkin' about me."

"Hmph." Michonne shrugged and went back to her watching. She didn't seem bothered that a whole group of people were talking about her. Now, if she knew they would be discussing her fate, she may think differently.

Daryl took his position several feet away from motion and settled into what was probably going to be a few hours of watch. Luckily, they had some shade from the blistering sun, but he wished he had thought to grab some water bottles before coming up. Just thinking about them made his throat even drier.

"Uh, Daryl?" Michonne's voice broke him free of his daydreaming of ice-cold water.

"Yeah?"

"We got company." Michonne was pointing at the gate where a silver car was now parked. The driver's side opened and a blonde woman stepped out. Michonne recognized her immediately. "Andrea!" She exclaimed and went straight for the stairs. Daryl stayed until the other occupant of the vehicle stepped out. Milton.

Michonne was rushing to the gate by the time Daryl made it down the stairs. The woman didn't have a key to unlock the padlock, so Daryl knew that it was okay to leave her for a moment to get Rick and the rest of the group. He knocked on the door loudly and when Rick answered he look livid at the interruption.

"We got company."

Instantly, his face paled. "The Governor?"

"No. Andrea and Milton."

"What do they want?" By that time, everyone was gathered behind Rick.

"Don't know. Figured I'd get you so you could find out." Without another word, Rick was brushing past Daryl followed by the rest of the group. Carol fell into step beside Daryl as they all went to see what was up.

When Andrea saw Carol approach, her face lit up. "Carol!" She cried, attracting the attention of some walkers. Rick had to quickly unlock the padlock before the walkers could get to them. He kept an eye on Milton, but allowed Andrea to rush to give Carol a hug.

"I did it," she said. "I killed him like you said." She took a step back. "I killed the Governor."


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

"What do you mean he's dead?" Rick was the first to react to the news as Andrea stepped out of Carol's embrace. " _You_ killed him?" The last time Andrea had been there, she had defended the Governor so Rick and everyone else was surprised that she had actually killed him.

"His body is in the back," Milton spoke up, meekly. "If you want proof." Daryl was the first to step forward to see the body, but Rick stopped him with a grip on his arm.

"Could be a trap," he said, lowly.

"You think Andrea would do that to us?" Daryl kept his voice down so that no one else could hear them.

"I don't know. She could have been forced. We approach with caution."

Daryl resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If the Governor wanted them dead, he wouldn't have sent Andrea and _Milton_ to do the deed. But he did as Rick said and approached the vehicle slowly. Rick had his hand hovering over the gun at his hip.

"T-The trunk is locked," Milton said and joined them. "I'll have to open it for you." His eyes went to Rick's gun and his hand shook slightly as he brandished the key.

"Go on." Daryl motioned with his hand, keeping the irritation from his voice. When he had been back at Woodbury, Milton had been one of the few he had actually liked and it was clear the man was terrified, so he tried to make it easier on him.

Milton placed the key in the lock, fumbling a few times before it finally clicked and he lifted the trunk. Once it was open, he took a few quick steps back and looked away. However, Daryl and Rick walked closer to see.

It was the Governor all right. He was naked from the waist up and there was dried blood on his chest, a stab wound in his heart and blood on his temple from the knife killing him a second time. Rick seemed to sag at the sight and Daryl knew that it had to be from relief. A weight was lifted off his shoulder. They no longer had to give up Michonne and no longer had to worry about Woodbury attacking them.

"He's really dead, then," a solemn voice spoke to Daryl's left. Turning, he saw that it was Michonne. No wonder he hadn't heard her approach.

"Yeah," Andrea said and stepped close to her friend. Carol wasn't far behind. When Daryl locked eyes with her, he saw that she was just as relieved as Rick to see that the man was dead. The only regret that Daryl had to see the body was that he hadn't been the one to kill him. But his brother was still avenged and for that, he was grateful.

"Andrea, drive the car up into the yard," Rick ordered. "We'll burn the body and you can tell us exactly what you did."

"Carol knows." Andrea looked back at her friend. "She's the one who told me to do it."

Everyone looked at Carol, who wasn't used to attention and blushed. "I'd still like to hear it from you, Andrea. You were the brave one who went through with it."

"I almost didn't," Andrea admitted and wrapped an arm around Carol's waist. "But I'll tell you what happened." Together, the group started to walk back up to the prison. Milton went to the driver's seat of the car and started it. Daryl slipped into the passenger's seat before it started to move and startled the other man.

"Why are you here?" Daryl asked. The words weren't said forcefully or with anger. He wanted to know why this man, who used to hang off the Governor's every word and lie, would come to the prison with Blake's dead body.

"I realized you were right. Phillip was a terrible man. I just wanted to tell you that." His eyes never left the gravel road that led up to the main part of the prison yard. He made sure to drive slowly and to keep a distance away from the group leading the way.

"You didn't have to do that," Daryl said. "I already knew I was right." He clapped the man on the shoulder and smirked, feeling camaraderie with him. Merle, also, had a weird relationship with the bespectacled man. Most days Merle had acted as if the man had annoyed him, but deep down Daryl knew that he cared about Milton.

"So, were you in on Andrea killin' him?"

"Actually, no. I went to see Phillip about something yesterday morning and found Andrea covered in blood and...naked." He seemed more embarrassed about seeing a naked Andrea than troubled about the blood.

"That's when I saw his body on the bed. Andrea thought I was going to tell everyone what she had done and I thought she was going to kill me, too." He gulped. "I had a knife pressed to my throat and everything. But, when I convinced her I wouldn't say a word, we came up with a plan to tell the people of Woodbury want happened. Of course, we couldn't tell the truth. We said he had turned in his sleep and Andrea had to kill him."

"And they believed you?" Daryl asked in disbelief.

"Andrea can be pretty convincing," he said simply.

Now, _that_ Daryl believed. The woman had come to despise the Governor, or she had to to be able to kill him, so to act like she had wanted to sleep with the man had taken some great acting skills on Andrea's part and Daryl respected that.

"We told him that we were burying him with the rest of his family and left," Milton spoke, again. The car came to a stop in the yard and Carol gave Daryl on odd look when she looked at him through the windshield of the car.

"Well, he's gettin' what he deserves, now and that ain't no funeral." Daryl climbed from the truck and walked over to Carol, who was still standing near Andrea. Axel and Rick went to the truck to retrieve the body. Glenn went off to find a can of gasoline to help with the fire and Michonne watched everything with hooded, unreadable eyes. The woman was a mystery to them all, but Daryl knew that she was happy the Governor was gone.

* * *

Everyone in the group stood around the smothering remains of what had been the Governor, except for Beth, who was inside with the baby. The fumes weren't good for the baby and Beth was the only one willing to stay with her. Everyone seemed to have a personal investment in watching the Governor burned. He had threatened their family, killed Merle and had tried to kill Michonne.

Years seemed to shed from Rick's face as one of their threats was burned away. They still had walkers to deal with, but without Blake breathing down their necks, taking out walkers and keeping everyone safe within the prison had gotten ten times better. "Now," their leader said and looked toward Andrea. "Will you tell us what happened?"

Andrea looked briefly at Carol before speaking. "I slept with him and then, I kill him. Milton helped me make up a story to tell Woodbury and we brought the body here."

"What's going to happen to the people there?" Rick asked.

Andrea shrugged and Milton fidgeted a little in place. "We don't know. Despite being a sick bastard, Phillip ran the place well. Without him, I don't know what will happen to him. Unless... Milton steps up." The way she was looking at the other man made Daryl think that this wasn't the first time the two had this conversation.

Milton flushed. "I can't do that!" He protested. "I'm just a scientist and the people wouldn't respect me."

"You can do it, Milton. Honestly," Andrea's voice grew soft and it suddenly felt like an intimate moment. Everyone else seemed to sense it, too and shifted nervously in place. A hand slipped into Daryl's and he looked down to see Carol standing close.

"Do you want to get out of here for a bit? Hershel said he'd try his hand at cooking something and I even think he's going to coerce Carl to help."

Daryl snorted and allowed himself to be led by the hand. "That should be interestin'."

"And I ran out of my last granola bar this morning."

"Fuck."

* * *

The next several days, the mood at the prison seemed lighter. Tension had left Rick since he no longer had to make the tough decision about Michonne and Glenn had lost the feeling of being constantly angry now that the Governor was dead and just a pile of charred bones. Andrea had gone back to Woodbury with Milton before it had grown dark the day they had arrived and promised to return sometime in the next few days. It wasn't clear if she planned on staying with them or at Woodbury...with Milton. She and Michonne had seemed to have repaired their friendship and the woman didn't seem as scary, anymore.

Carol didn't envy Andrea, though. Over the next few days, she would have to make a difficult decision of where she would call home. Andrea had even asked if Rick and the group would want to live at Woodbury now that the Governor was gone. Rick had declined, of course. They had worked hard to make the prison their home and they weren't going to abandon it, now.

Things with Daryl had changed over those few days. Changed in a good way. He had practically moved into her cell, though some of his stuff remained in his. Everyone knew that they were together and didn't seem to mind. Carol was grateful. Daryl was a good man, one of the best she had ever known, and she didn't know what she would have done if her family hadn't accepted him.

They hadn't slept together since that night a few days ago, but he was in her bed every night and Carol wouldn't have changed it for their world.

"We need a real bed," he groaned that morning as he sat up to climb from the bed. "Pretty sure a spring was diggin' into my spine all night and my bed ain't any better."

Carol giggled and rummaged for something to put on before heading out to start breakfast. "Things have calmed down some. Maybe we can go out and look for one sometime. Good luck lugging it up here, though."

"It would be worth it." He settled at the edge of the mattress and watched her undress, just as he had done for the past few weeks. At first, Carol had been embarrassed to shed her clothes in front of him, but she quickly realized that Daryl made her feel better about herself and not worst.

"Maybe we can take it up to one of the unused watchtowers and make it our own little home."

"Why Daryl Dixon, are you asking me to move in with you?" Over her shoulder, she gave him a sweet smile and batted her eyes.

"Ain't that what we're doin' now?" He stood and crossed the room to wrap his arms around her. Things had moved extremely fast for them. They had only met little over a week before and now, they were living together. And Carol was pretty sure she was in love with Daryl.

"Hm. I just thought you liked my bed better and that's why you sneak in it every night." She turned in his arms and kissed his chin.

"Sneakin' in? Last time I checked, you stay up and lift the covers for me every night. You're just as eager to be in bed with me as I am with you." Daryl leaned down and gave her a proper kiss. His lands slid upward to her hair, where they tangled in her curls and he pulled her closer...

A throat clearing had them moving apart. Turning to the open doorway of Carol's cell, they spotted Axel standing there nervously. "Uh, sorry to interrupt." He didn't look either one in the eye. In fact, he avoided Daryl's all together. Ever since Axel had taken a liking to Carol, Daryl had glared at the other man and made sure that he knew Carol was off-limits.

"Uh, sorry to i-interrupt, but Beth would like your help with breakfast."

Carol pulled away from Daryl and placed her hands on her hips. "What were you doing near Beth?"

"U-Uh, I got up early and she was in the common room. I stayed on the opposite side of the room. Honest." Carol seemed to soften. Axel was harmless. A little slow on the uptake, but harmless nonetheless.

"Okay, tell her I'll be down in a few." Axel quickly retreated at her words.

"Why do you always have to help her?" Daryl grumbled and plopped back down on the mattress. "Doesn't she have a sister?"

"Today was my day for breakfast, so she's the one helping _me._ " Carol glanced in the small mirror propped on the only dresser in the cell and finger combed her hair. Daryl snorted and rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"I thought your hair looked pretty damn perfect a few minutes ago."

Carol turned and fixed him with a look and pursed her lips. "You would." Once she deemed herself presentable enough to cook breakfast, Carol turned to leave the cell.

"Wait," Daryl called. "I was serious about us finding a real bed...and maybe calling one of the towers ours." He looked very shy, then. "If you want to...that is."

In the normal world, moving in with a guy after knowing him for only a little over a week would have been strange, but this wasn't a normal world. This was a world where every moment could be your last and Carol found that she wanted to spend every moment she was allowed with Daryl Dixon.

"I very much want to," she answered. "We'll talk about it later, okay?" She felt giddy at the prospect of having her own little space with Daryl. No one would be able to interrupt them in the morning like Axel had and if they were to take over a tower, there would be more than just a flimsy curtain to keep the outside world out.

Daryl beamed, the smile making the corners of his eyes crinkle. "Okay."


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

Daryl watched Carol leave with a lopsided grin, still over the moon about Carol agreeing to 'move in' with him. Nine months ago, meeting Carol had only been a dream Daryl had and now, he had her. She was his. Things normally didn't go this well in his life. Though, he had lost his brother...

If Merle was still alive, his life would have been perfect. Well, as close to perfect as it could get in the middle of the damn apocalypse.

Finally deciding that he had been sitting on his ass for too long, Daryl got dressed and made his way down the stairs. He reached the bottom step just as Rick walked out of the cell he shared with his son and baby daughter. The former police officer gave Daryl a nod of greeting, which Daryl returned stiffly. Things were still tense between them since their last conversation that had ended up with Daryl punching him in the face. Daryl would not easily forget or forgive what Rick had said about Carol. The words had been uncalled for. Carol didn't like him just because he had been nice to her. That wasn't who Carol was.

Daryl slid open the door that led to the common room and saw Carol and Beth over by the counter, cooking. Carol lifted her head and gave him a small wave, which he returned with a shy smile of his own.

"Somethin' smells good," he observed as he got closer.

"It's just oatmeal," Beth replied. "Plain oatmeal at that." She went back to stirring the pot, making a face as she did so. Daryl supposed he didn't blame the young girl. They had oatmeal every morning, but at least they had food. Plus, he hadn't been talking to her in the first place.

"I was talkin' about you," Daryl leaned forward and whispered into Carol's ear. He wanted to take the lobe in his mouth, but Beth was looking at them from the corner of her eye. She thought she was being sneaky.

Carol flushed a dark red and swatted at him. "I didn't know you were such a flatterer, Daryl Dixon!"

Truthfully, he hadn't known he was one either. "You deserve to be flattered all the time." When Beth had her back turned, he leaned forward and gave Carol a quick kiss on the cheek. Most of the people at the prison knew they were in a relationship, but Daryl still wasn't keen on public displays of affection.

"Thank you," she whispered, happy tears glistening in her eyes. "D-Do you want some breakfast? We have a few bowls ready." The younger woman had turned to face them once more and Carol quickly blinked away the moisture in her eyes, knowing Beth would have asked about them.

"Sure," he answered. "I think I'll take it outside, though. Gotta scout out that tower." He winked and Carol blushed, again before handing him a bowl of oatmeal.

"I'll come out and join you when I'm done here. If you want."

"I want." Daryl wanted to kiss her once more before he left, but Beth was watching them with her wide blue eyes and made him feel uncomfortable. "I'll see you in a little bit."

"Okay." Carol smiled brightly at him and turned back to the meal. By now, Rick and Carl, who was holding his baby sister, Hershel and Axel had made their way to the common room. Glenn, Maggie and Michonne were the only ones not there. However, when Daryl went to open the door that lead to the prison yard, it was flung open and Maggie and Glenn stepped through.

It was clear where they had been. The watchtower. Daryl reminded himself not to go into that one. Besides the one they mainly used for keeping watch, there was another tower in the prison and that was the one Daryl planned on claiming. However, there was a gate between it and the yard he was in now. Rick had the keys, but Daryl didn't feel like going in and asking for them.

Daryl took his breakfast and sat on one of the picnic tables in the yard and allowed his mind to wander. What would the rest of the group think about Carol leaving the inside of the prison to shack up with him? They knew that they were together, but he didn't know any of their feelings about it. The only one who had come remotely close to it had been Rick.

And would Carol like to be separated from her family like that? They would only be several yards away, but that was still far. Especially since they wouldn't be able to know what was going on in the prison at night. Daryl told himself that he would be okay if Carol decided to stay with the rest of their group. He'd stay with her, if she let him. Though, the idea of having some privacy sounded amazing. They hadn't been _together_ since that first time and Daryl craved the feel of her soft skin on his.

"Thinking about me?"

Carol's soft voice made Daryl jump and he nearly dropped his bowl of breakfast. "Actually, yes," he answered honestly and turned to see Carol take a seat next to him with her own meal in her hands.

"What about me?"

"I was just wonderin' when I'll get to see you naked, again." Two could play at this game. Normally, it was Carol who would do the teasing and trying to rile him up, but he had the perfect opportunity to do so and he did.

It had worked because Carol's face went an even darker shade of red than it had earlier. "Funny. I've been thinking the same thing about you." The retort was weak and Daryl didn't so much as flinch. He had won this round.

"Want to get naked right now?" But it didn't look like Carol gave up easily.

"Okay." Daryl shrugged and placed his bowl down so he could start unbuttoning his shirt. Carol reached for his hands, horrified.

"Daryl, don't! I was just kidding. Anyone could see us!" Smugly, Daryl rebuttoned his shirt and picked up his meal once more.

Carol pouted and stuck out her tongue. "I hate you."

"Too bad because I love you." Turer and easier words had not been spoken. Daryl felt damn lucky to have this woman in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I plan on doing something in the next chapters that I am super nervous about. It has ALWAYS been in my plan to do this, but for awhile I kind of just set it aside. I've decided to do it. It's nothing bad, of course. I just don't know how you all will react to it. My hope is that you all will like it! :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	30. Chapter Thirty

**Chapter Thirty**

Once they finally finished their meal, Daryl stood from the table. Carol followed and went to collect their empty bowls, but Daryl stopped her with a hand on her forearm. "Leave them for now," he said. "You ready to check out our new home?" Saying those words aloud had Daryl's stomach tying up in knots and his throat to go dry. Never in his life had he lived with a woman, with the exception of his mother who had died when he was nine. Taking the home with him. However, Carol was different. Daryl wanted to spend the rest of his life with this woman, for however long that would be.

"Don't we have to get the keys from Rick?" Her voice was soft and cheeks pink. Daryl's words had affected Carol just as they had him.

"Fuck," he cursed. "Forgot about that. You stay here, I'll bring the bowls in and talk to Rick." The bastard better fork up the keys without question. He wanted to keep the tower his and Carol's secret for as long as he could.

"Okay." Carol took her seat back on the table and folded her hands in her lap. She looked so pretty sitting there (well, she always looked pretty) that he had to bend down to kiss her quickly on the mouth before heading back toward the prison.

He walked away from her with a slight spring in his step and a goofy smile on his face. If Merle were to see him now...

* * *

Rick had handed over the keys with a question in his eyes, but if he wasn't asking Daryl wasn't telling. Especially with Glenn a few feet away. The younger man would have been the first to jump at the idea of having a tower to himself and Maggie. But there was only one, beside the one used for watch, and there was no way in hell he was going to share.

Surpassing a shudder, Daryl walked away. The idea of sharing the same bed as Glenn and Maggie...? Fucking gross.

Carol was sitting in the same spot as he left her, except this time she was leaning back on her elbows and staring off into the distance. She didn't look at him until he stopped in front of her and held up the keys with a triumphant look. "No questions asked," he said proudly.

"Surprisingly." She stood. "They can be a nosy bunch. Beth was asking me questions the whole time after you left the room, earlier. She needs a boy her age around here."

"Carl," Daryl answered.

"Not for a few more years. He's fourteen and she just turned seventeen."

"She looks twelve."

Carol elbowed him hard. "That was kind of mean, Daryl!"

Daryl shrugged. "It's true. Ain't nothin' wrong with lookin' twelve. I'm just glad she's stop comin' around me."

"Oh, stop." Carol giggled. "Can you blame her for developing a crush? You got that gruff, bad boy loner type going on."

"Is that why you developed a crush on me?" From behind, he wrapped his arms around Carol and placed a kiss on her temple. He didn't want to keep talking about Beth.

One of her hands went to one of his on her stomach while the other went back to grasp the back of his head to keep him pressed close. "Well, I would say it's more than just a crush."

"How much more?" Teasing got serious.

"I love you." The words finally left Carol's mouth. Daryl wanted to spin her around and kiss her breathless, just like the guys in some of the romantic movies he would catch Merle watching on occasion. This was the first time Carol had told him that she loved him.

"Mm, I'm glad." Those were inadequate word for how Daryl was really feeling, but he vowed that he would express his joy later.

"Are we going to the tower or not?" Carol asked when it seemed like they would just stand in the middle of the yard for the rest of the day. Daryl let go of Carol and stood beside her.

"All right, we're goin'!" He chuckled. "Someone sounds a little eager, though."

"Of course I am!" She exclaimed. "We'll actually have privacy! I love everyone at the prison, but if I have to hear Glenn and Maggie have sex one more time or Hershel's snores, I'll go insane!" With those words, Daryl's earlier insecurities about Carol not wanting to move in with him went out the window. Carol wanted privacy just as much as he.

Daryl unlocked the gate that led them to the yard with the tower. When they had first taken over the prison, Rick had decided that they would clear all of the yards just in case there was ever a chance that they broke through a fence. Daryl was grateful. It made their trek to the tower much easier.

When they reached the tower, Daryl went up first with his knife in hand. His crossbow was back in the cell. Looking behind him, he saw that Carol had a knife out, as well. They had cleared the yard, but hadn't touched the tower. Hopefully, nothing would surprise them once they made it to the top of the stairs.

Nothing was up there, thankfully, except an old desk covered in dust and a rolling chair with several cobwebs. Everything was layered in dust and the two windows, one facing out past the fence and the other toward the other tower, were covered in grime. No sunlight could seep through. Carol wrinkled her nose. "We have a lot of work to do," she observed,

"But it'll all be worth it in the end." Already, Daryl was laying out the space. They would put the bed under one of the windows so that the light would wake them up in the morning. Their dressers would line the walls and if they cleaned up the desk real good, they could push it under the other window.

"It will," Carol agreed. She walked over to the door that led out to the walkway that went three-quarters around the building. She shoved it up and allowed some light into the place. "We'll also have a beautiful view." She turned to him and smiled.

"The only beautiful view I need is you."

"Smooth, Dixon," Carol replied, but Daryl could see that her cheeks were flushed with pleasure at the words.

"It's true." He joined her at the doorway and together, they stepped onto the walkway. The air was immediately fresher. They had a good view of the woods and as they walked around, they saw that they had a good view of everything else, as well.

"Tomorrow, we can start cleaning this place up and when we finish, we can look for that bed."

"Can't wait," Carol sighed. "It's been a long time since I slept on a real mattress."

"And it'll be nice to have more space in bed, too."

Carol rolled her eyes. "Oh please, stop actin' like you don't like it when curl up next to you." She shoved him a little.

"You're right. I do like it. Very much." Daryl reached for her, his intent to have her in his arms, but she ducked around him giggling and rushed back into the tower. He stood stunned for a second and followed. The room was empty when he walked in, or so he thought. He hadn't heard the door open or close.

"Now. Where are you hidin'?"

A soft giggle gave her away and Daryl leaned over the desk to see that she was hiding behind it. She reached up and grabbed his cheeks. He allowed her to pull him down for a kiss. "We should probably head back," she said after a little bit. "We probably missed lunch. Maybe, if Rick doesn't have us do anything for the rest of the day, we could start cleaning. I want to live in this place as soon as possible."

Daryl thought that was an awesome idea and pushed off from the desk. "I'll make sure Rick doesn't have anythin' for us to do."

When they walked into the common room, everyone else was there. Glenn looked at Daryl and exploded in laughter. Maggie followed suit but less obnoxiously. Carl tipped his head down so Daryl couldn't see his smile, Beth turned from them and even Rick had a smile on his face.

"What?" Daryl demanded. "Do I got somethin' on my face?"

"Actually, you do," Glenn answered between gasps of breath and clutching his sides. "Looks like someone stuck their hands in dirt and grabbed your face."

Daryl turned and glared at Carol, the culprit. She was laughing so hard that tears were coursing down her cheeks. After a little while, Daryl couldn't help but join her.

* * *

It took them almost a week to get the tower close to sparkling. Daryl never wanted to see a bucket full of sudsy water in his life. But he was proud of their work. The tower was much more welcoming and with the windows clean, a lot more light entered the room. It was starting to feel like a home.

No one asked where Daryl and Carol disappeared to during the day, though Glenn gave them odd looks every time they left in the morning. Honestly, Daryl was surprised that Glenn hadn't tried to follow them.

The day after they had scrubbed the last bit of dirt from the tower, Carol and Daryl packed a few supplies into one of the trucks and told Rick they were going on a run. A few of the members made requests for items and Carol happily took down a list. By the end, Daryl was eager to leave. He wanted to be back before night fall, so he could set up the bed and they could spend the first night there.

Daryl planned on christening it as soon as possible, as well.

Before they could pull out of the gates, a car pulled up to them. No one raised an alarm, since they knew the car by now. It was Andrea and this time, Milton came along. Carol got out of the truck to greet her friend and Daryl sighed at being delayed.

"Where you off to?" Milton walked up the open window of the driver's side.

"On a run," Daryl answered, not wanting to go into specifics.

"Oh. All right. I won't delay you then." He took a step away from the vehicle, but then stopped. "Oh. Martinez just wanted to say he was sorry about Merle."

Daryl gave the other man an odd look. "He already said that to me. Back when we met up with the Governor."

"He did? Have you found him, then?"

"Huh?"

"Martinez was there when he died, I guess, but wasn't able to put him down... After the attack on Woodbury, they chased you for a little while and when they came back, Merle was gone."

Daryl gripped the steering wheel so hard it creaked. His brother was out there somewhere...as a walker. He placed his forehead on the wheel and willed tears back. He had mourned his brother, but he knew what he had to do now. He had to find him and put him out of his misery.

"I thought someone would have you told that already," Milton spoke. "I'm sorry."

"S'all right." He sat up and watched as Carol walked back to the truck. Andrea went around to join Milton and waved at Daryl before walking up to the prison.

"Something wrong?" Carol asked when they were finally on the road. It was very clear that he was tense.

"I'm fine."

As he drove, Daryl kept a sharp eye out for any walker that was his brother. He knew it had to be an almost impossible task. Merle could have wandered states away by now. He needed to do this, though. It was the least he could do for Merle.


	31. Chapter Thirty-One

**Chapter Thirty-One**

The ride to town was silent. Daryl was deep in his thoughts of Merle and Carol respected him enough to not ask what was wrong again. He would tell her soon, though. They were together, now and he would not keep things from her. He just needed to process the fact that Merle was still out there, wandering aimlessly. Waiting for someone to put him down. If only he had known sooner. Maybe he could have tracked him down and end it. Then, his grave would no longer be empty.

"Daryl, can we stop there real quick?" Carol pointed to a small strip mall up ahead. The place looked looted, but it was worth trying to see if there was anything left. "I want to see if we can get some more things for the baby." The smallest shop in the mall looked to be a children's clothing store. Daryl tried not to think about why the place looked the most intact out of the rest of the stores.

Daryl pulled the truck close to the doors of the building and climbed out. Carol was close behind, her knife out and ready. "I doubt they'll have Carl's size here, the boy is growing like a weed, but it's worth a shot to look."

Daryl was the first to enter the store and a quick look around told him that nothing was there. Most of the displays looked untouched. Shirts and pants were folded perfectly. Carol shuddered as she followed him inside. "I don't like this," she confided. "Why hasn't any of this stuff been touched? Surely there are other children out there." Her breath hitched and Daryl knew that she was thinking about her daughter.

"Let's just grab what we need and get out of here." Daryl reached for her hand and squeezed. "You look for Carl and I'll get Judith." He wanted to keep her away from the girl's clothing as much as possible, knowing that the sight of the clothes would remind Carol even more about Sophia.

"Okay." She told him the sizes he needed to grab. "Oh, and grab all the socks and stuff you can. It'll get cold in the prison during the winter and she may need to double up."

"Got it." They went their separate ways and collected the things they needed. Carol found a few shirts that may fit Carl, along with some socks and underwear. However, the biggest size pants they had were ones he had grown out while they were on the road.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Daryl said. They threw the things in the back of the truck and were on their way once more. Their next stop would be a mattress store. Hopefully the place hadn't been picked clean, though he doubted people flocked there when the world ended and tried to drag beds out.

As they drove, Carol seemed to shed the ominous mood from earlier and happily chatted with Daryl. "Do you think we'll have enough room for a king-sized bed?" She looked over at him, blue eyes dancing in excitement.

"Not if want room to walk around," he answered, though having a bed that size would be nice. There was lots of things one could do with a bed that big. Especially when they had someone as beautiful as Carol Peletier to share it with.

"Stop thinking dirty thoughts!" Carol giggled and playfully swatted his arm.

 _Caught_. "I ain't."

She crossed her arms and narrowed her blue eyes. "Uh huh. Then, what were thinking about? It had to be something good for you to be smiling like that."

"All right. You caught me," he finally admitted before reaching over to squeeze one of her hands. "But can you blame me? I get to have the most beautiful woman in the world in my bed every night."

Instead of blushing and looking pleased, Carol looked down and whispered, "Must not be a lot of women in the world, then." This was the first time Carol had ever said something negative about herself in front of him and it made Daryl want to kill Ed all over again. After all, it was all the bastards fault.

"Before the world went to shit, I would have thought the same damn thing. You're fuckin' beautiful and I promise you that I have never said that about another woman. Ever. You're it for me and sometimes, I can't believe how damn lucky I am to have you."

Carol avoided his eyes and looked down at her lap, where his hand was still on hers. "Sometimes I feel like I'm in a dream. How can a man fall in love with me by just reading some words on a page? And how could he a good as man as you? For a long time, my daughter was the only good thing in my life, then she was taken from me." She sniffled and wiped tears from her cheeks. "And then, you came along." This time she looked at him. "I'm so afraid that you'll be taken from me, too. "

Daryl pulled the truck off the to the side of the road, unbuckled his belt and gathered Carol in his arms. "I ain't goin' anywhere. Promise." Carol held him tightly and cried into the collar of his shirt.

He pulled slightly away, a corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile. "In fact, it's goin' to be pretty damn hard to get rid of me."

Carol gave him a watery smile. "Oh, what have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Daryl had backed the truck up to the mattress store. It was the only building on that side of the road. Across the street, there was a framework for another building that had been abandoned once the dead started walking and consuming human flesh.

"We have about four hours of daylight left," Daryl observed, after looking up at the position of the sun. "And I want to get home in time to set up the bed." It would be a stretch, but Daryl desperately wanted to spend the night in their new home.

"Okay. It shouldn't be hard to pick out the perfect bed, right?"

"Right," he answered.

_Wrong._

There were hundreds of mattress laid out on display. Except for a thin layer of dust, they all seemed to be in good condition. Carol and Daryl looked at one another, eyes wide. How were they going to pick the perfect one in just a few hours.

"Split up?" Carol asked.

"Yeah. Good idea."

Luckily, the area was open and they could easily see all corners of the large room and there were no walkers roaming around. After all, who would flock to a mattress store when the world was ending?

Carol went to the mattress closest to her and plopped on it. A cloud of dust exploded from the surface and Daryl couldn't help but laugh when Carol sat up straight to wave away the dust particles. She glared his way before climbing from the bed. Her skin was covered in a thin layer of dust. "I didn't like that bed, anyway," she huffed before moving on to another one.

Daryl watched her for a few more minutes before he decided he needed to get to work, too. Daylight was wasting and if he wanted to have Carol in a bed before nightfall, he needed to get his ass in gear.

"Too soft," Carol called out after testing a mattress that she had almost sunk down in. "Too hard," she said on the next one that didn't have any bounce to it at all.

"What are you, Goldilocks?" Daryl teased getting up from one of the mattress he had just tried out. It wasn't soft enough for him.

"Hush!" Carol scolded.

For an hour, they tried out every mattress in the place until they came to one in the middle. Carol stood on one side and Daryl on the other. "This is it," he said. "If this isn't the one, then we'll have to pick out one that isn't perfect."

"I know," Carol sighed. "Let's do this."

Together, they laid down on the bed. Daryl didn't know if it was because Carol was beside him, but he had never laid on anything so comfortable in his life. "So," he turned his head to face her and said. "What do you think?"

She turned to look at him, a wide smile on her face. "It's perfect."

* * *

It took them a little bit to disassemble the frame and carry it out to the truck. The hard part was taking the mattress. Daryl thought Carol would struggle with her half of the weight, but she was perfect fine as they maneuvered their way out of the building.

"Now, all we have to do is get back and unload of all it," Carol said tiredly and leaned against the truck bed.

"We could wait until tomorrow to do it, if you want."

"No!" She stood up straighter. "You want it installed by tonight and that's what we'll do. I'll be fine once we get back to the prison. I'll be nice and rested."

"Setting up the bed isn't the only thing you need to rest up for," he winked and Carol blushed with a small smile.

"I can't wait." If Daryl pressed harder on the gas because of her words, he would never admit it aloud.

As they drove, Daryl once again became lost in his thoughts when something on the side of the road caught his eye. A walker. But not just any walker.

"Merle!" He cried and slammed on the breaks. Carol cried out and quickly braced herself on the dashboard and before she could unbuckle her seatbelt, Daryl was reaching for his crossbow and leaping from the truck.

"Daryl!" Carol flew out of the truck after him, knife out and ready to use. However, just as Daryl disappeared into the woods, a dozen walkers appeared a little ways down and cut Carol off from him. From the look of it, they hadn't heard her, but had heard Daryl. Carol couldn't have that. If he had seen the walker of his brother, then his main focus would be on him and not his safety.

"Hey!" Carol called out to the undead. Some of the heads turned their heads, but not all. "I said,  _hey!_ " She yelled even louder and got the attention of them all. They started to stumble in her direction. Carol allowed them to approach a few more feet before taking a deep breath and taking off in the opposite direction of the way Daryl had gone.

Her plan was to lose the walkers in the woods and head back to the truck to await Daryl. If that had really been a walker Merle, she knew that he would need her more than ever. He had thought his brother's body had been taken care of at Woodbury and to see that it hadn't and that he was walker, now, must have broken his heart.

She sprinted through the woods and occasionally looked behind her to make sure the undead weren't getting too close. When she looked back a second time, she saw that they had added in their numbers. But for some reason that didn't bother or scare her. The Carol of old would have thought she was a goner and would have given up. But she was a different Carol, now. She had reasons to live and one of them was Daryl. Ever since he had stumbled into her life, she couldn't imagine a life without him.

When her legs started to burn and her breath came in fast a pants, Carol decided that it was time to lose them and head back. Up ahead, she saw the perfect place to turn and lose them. To her left there were thick bushes, she could plow through them and if any of the walkers caught the fast movement, they wouldn't be able to get past.

However, she didn't know that it would be a damn thorn bush.

Nothing stopped her and she plowed through it, wincing as she gained several cuts. But it was better than becoming one of those things meals. Still running, she looked to see what was going on behind her. The walkers all got tangled up in the bush and she smiled triumphantly.

Then, she ran into something solid. It didn't move, but she was flung to the ground. Thinking it was a walker, she reached for her knife and was ready for to defend herself. A raspy chuckle stopped her and she looked up into the same blue eyes that Daryl had.

"Well, what do we have here? It sure seems like you can't resist runnin' into me, don't it?"

It couldn't be. He was dead. "Merle?"


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

He had to have been fucking hallucinating. One minute he had seen Merle stumbling along the edge of the woods and the next, he was gone. Daryl couldn't even find prints to track him with. Fuck, he was going insane and he had left Carol back at the truck with no explanation. She probably thought he was crazy now.

Daryl wished Milton hadn't said anything about Merle being out there as a walker. He would have happily gone blissfully unaware of the fact and still have the empty grave back at the prison to pay his respects to. Now, all he was going to think about was that his brother's rotting, dead body was still stumbling around out there, needing to be put down.

Finally, when he got back to the truck, head down in defeat, he expected to see Carol waiting there for him. But she was nowhere to be seen. The passenger's door was open and panic settled in Daryl's chest. "Fuck," he hissed and rushed around to the side. What he saw made his heart sink.

In the dirt beside the road, were several different footprints. Many of them had drag marks, like a foot that wasn't functioning. Walkers. There had been a shit ton of walkers here and now, Carol was gone. She was somewhere out in those woods, with walkers breathing down her neck and it was all his fault. From the corner of his eye, he had seen a walker or two before disappearing into the woods, but his mind had only been focused on one thing.

"Fuck!" He cried and punched the side of the truck. Pain shot up from his hand all the way to his arm, but he ignored it and unslung his bow and walked right back into the woods, hoping that he wouldn't have to put down another loved one.

* * *

It was like Carol was seeing a ghost. It had to be a ghost. "You're dead!" She exclaimed, taking a step back. "But why would you haunt me?"

"I ain't dead." His eyes narrowed. "You on somethin'?"

Carol didn't answer, instead she decided to take a few steps closer and stabbed him in the chest a few times with her finger. Her appendage was met with solid, human flesh. "If you're not dead, then how are you alive. I saw you get shot. I saw your blood spray on Daryl's face!"

Merle opened and closed his mouth for a few seconds, trying to think of something to say. But nothing seemed to come to him and Carol wasn't done. She was angry now.

"And since you're not dead, why didn't you come for your brother at the prison? Maggie said she told the Governor about it and he must have told you." This time when she touched him it was a shove against his chest. "Daryl mourned you. We buried you and put a marker with your name on it. Yet, you were still alive and didn't think to come find your brother and tell him you weren't!" Her voice had risen to a yell and echoed through the trees. She had gone from thinking he was a ghost to thinking he was the worst brother ever.

"Look, missy. Daryl is better off knowin' I'm dead. So, if you would..."

"Carol!"

"Fuck," Merle hissed and Carol whirled around to see Daryl racing toward her with his crossbow raised. However, when he saw that Merle was still alive, he lowered the bow. Carol was surprised he hadn't just thrown it to the ground.

"Merle? Is that you?" He rubbed vigorously at his eyes and blinked, not believing it. Carol stepped forward and placed a hand on his forearm.

"It's him. I checked."

"You checked?" He asked, confused.

"Left bruises on my chest and everythin'," Merle said. "Thought I was a damn ghost."

"Well, you should be!" Daryl practically. "I watched you die."

"Actually, little brother. You didn't. You saw me get shot and then, you hightailed it outta there."

"Like I had a fuckin' choice!" Daryl stepped forward and snarled. "I would have never willingly left you if I had known you were alive. You know that." He looked ready to burst a few blood vessels. Carol had never seen Daryl so angry.

It was then that she saw several walkers stumbling their way. All of the yelling they had done must have attracted them. She placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "We should go," she said soothingly, though the threat was coming closer. "You two can talk back at the prison."

Carol's touch calmed him down some. "All right. Let's go, Merle."

"I ai-" From behind Daryl, Carol sent him a glare so fierce that it shut him up, which surprised him.

Daryl slung his bow over his shoulder, grabbed Carol's hand and the three of them took off. Carol made sure to keep an eye on Merle. If he decided to take off, she'd alert Daryl. There was no way he was leaving little brother. Especially if she could help it.

* * *

When they reached the truck, they had left the walkers far behind. Daryl went right for the driver's seat and Carol hopped into the passenger's seat, but kept the door open so that Merle could come in, too. The older Dixon glanced at the door and hopped into the bed of the truck.

Daryl rolled his eyes. "I hope it fuckin' rains." He didn't really mean that, only because if it rained, the mattress they had back there would have gotten ruined. He started the truck and they were off to the prison.

"How do you think Rick is goin' to react when he sees Merle?" Daryl asked, worrying his bottom lip.

"I don't know. He was the one who took Glenn and Maggie, but then, he also helped us get out of there alive." Carol honestly didn't know how Rick would react. It took him a long time to trust people (she didn't even think he fully trusted Daryl, yet) and knowing Merle, the two men probably wouldn't get off on the right foot.

"I ain't leavin'. If Rick doesn't want Merle there, I ain't leavin' with him," he said firmly.

Carol was shocked at his words. "But he's your brother!"

"Would you come with me if I left with him?"

And leave her family behind? She loved them...and she loved Daryl, more than she thought she could ever love someone. But it would be hard to make that decision. "I'd...go with you."

Daryl's looked at her tenderly and placed a hand over one of hers. "I would never ask that of you and if you're stayin' at the prison, so am I. My brother has been alive for a while now and he didn't come look for me. Again."

Carol bit her lip. "...He didn't want to come back with us. He said that you were better off knowing that he was dead."

Surprisingly, Daryl didn't stop the truck or swerve off the road. Instead, he remained calm. "Course he would say that. The selfish bastard always thinks he knows what's best for me." Carol moved across the bench seat and pressed herself into his side, comforting him.

He sighed and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Well, it looks like we ain't goin' to be usin' that bed, tonight."

* * *

When they drove up to the prison gate, Carl was the one to let them in. Fortunately. Daryl wanted to give Glenn and Maggie some warning before they saw Merle, since he was the one who had brought them to the Governor. Carl motioned them to stop when they pulled all the way through and moved to hop into the bed of the truck, but froze when he saw Merle sitting back there.

"That's Merle," Daryl said through the open window. "He's my brother."

"Oh." Carl stared at the other man from beneath his hat as he climbed the rest of the way into the truck bed.

"Carl Grimes! Get those boots of my new mattress!" Carol leaned halfway out of the window to scold him with a half smile.

"Yes ma'am!" The boy saluted and grinned before getting of the mattress to sit on the floor. Carol sat back in her seat and kept an eye out for the boy in the rearview mirror. She told herself it was to make sure he stayed off the mattress, but in reality she wasn't sure what Merle would say to the impressionable young man.

Daryl drove them all the way up the yard. If Merle hadn't been there, he would have driven to the part of the yard where their tower was, but it was clear they would not be settling in it that night...and maybe not for several nights. If Merle was allowed to stay in the prison…

Rick walked out of the building at the sound of the approaching vehicle and Daryl hopped out of the truck to speak with him. Carol climbed out, as well, but went to the back where Merle was still sitting. Carl had jumped out when the truck had come to a halt.

"I suppose you're hear to tell me to play nice, ain't you?"

Carol crossed her arms, eyes steely. "I am."

"And if I don't?"

"You don't want to find out what I'll do to you." Her gaze was unwavering on his and tone deadly serious. "Especially, if you screw things up for Daryl."

Merle didn't say anything for a bit and his eyes scanned over her. "So you're the one, huh? The one Daryl was willing to go over all of Goddamn Georgia for." At her confused look, he chuckled. "Ever since we came across some ransacked camp, Daryl was hell bent on finding this group. Didn't think it was a woman he was chasing after until I saw the sign for that little girl."

Carol's breathed hitched at the mention of Sophia.

"He went straight into them woods, ready to look for her. That was your little girl, wasn't it? And he was looking for her, for _you_." Merle stuck his hand in his pocket and came out with something glittery.

"I take it this belongs to you." He held it out.

This time, tears came to Carol's eyes. It was her necklace. The one she had left on Sophia's grave what felt like so long ago. She reached for it with shaky hands and clutched it close to her heart. "W-Why do you have it?"

"Saw it when Daryl was kneelin' over a bunch of graves. I took it, thinkin' that somethin' like that would still have value. Daryl 'bout killed me when he saw that I meant to have it." He shrugged. "We fought and I still took it."

"Thank you. For bringing it back to me." She slipped the necklace into her pocket.

Rick and Daryl came around to the back of the truck, then. Rick kept his eyes on Merle and hand on his pistol while Daryl only had eyes for Carol. He saw her red-rimmed eyes and rushed to her side. "What the prick say to you?" He placed a hand on her shoulder and used the other to tilt her chin up.

"Nothing, Daryl." She sniffled and smiled through the tears. "He just gave me something I've been missing." She reached in her pocket and showed him the necklace. Daryl's eyes widened.

"Never thought I would see that, again," he said. "Merle must have grabbed it that night in Woodbury. Why?"

"I don't know. We could ask him later...if Rick lets him stay." The pair looked over to where Rick was speaking to Merle, who didn't look very impressed with the leader. But he didn't look to be irritating the man, which was a good thing. Every once in awhile, Merle would look over Rick's shoulder at Daryl.

"I think as long as he don't cause trouble and does some work around here, Rick will let him stay." Daryl crossed his arms. "I just wish he could have come after we set up the tower."

Would they still be able to live in it or with Merle with now, would Daryl have to stick close to him?

"Merle's a big boy. He ain't goin' to need me to babysit him all the time." Daryl must have read the panic and worry in her eyes. For the past several days, Carol had been looking forward to having her own space with Daryl.

"Good," she sighed and wrapped her arms around him. "I was afraid I would have to share you."

"With my brother? Never." He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Well, I should probably go see what Rick is saying to Merle." With a sigh, he reluctantly stepped away from her embrace.

"I'll go and see who's on dinner duty and help. See you later?"

"Course." He gave her a small smile before walking up to his brother and Rick.

* * *

Just as Daryl joined his brother and Rick, Merle turned to him with a wide smile. "Daryl, looks like ol' Ricky here is goin' to let me stay!"

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Please don't call me that."

"Whatever you say, Ricky!" Merle turned back to Daryl, chuckling as Rick walked away shaking his head. "He said I could stay as long as I don't get into any trouble around here. Might be kind of hard."

"If you want a roof over your head and consistent meals, then you'll try your fuckin' hardest." Daryl crossed his arms and glared at his brother.

"How do you know I ain't got somethin' better out in them woods?"

"You look like shit."

"Groomin' and hygiene ain't exactly on the top of my list when I'm tryin' to survive." He leaned his elbow against the side of the truck.

"So, you goin' to tell me how the hell you got away from Woodbury after I thought you were killed?" Daryl could barely control his anger as he spoke. "I deserve to fuckin' know. I mourned your ass. I even fuckin' gave you a damn grave! And you didn't even give me the damn decency to let me know you were alive!"

Merle held up his hands. "Whoa. I got all of this from your little girlfriend earlier."

Daryl swelled a little in proud. "Good, and know you're gettin' it from me. Spill."

Merle sighed heavily. "Fine. I'll tell you."


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three

**So, while I was writing this I had no idea that it would be the last chapter. But here it is, the last chapter :(.**

**I hope you all enjoy and thank you for going on this journey with me.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

Merle looked a little uneasy as he paused and looked down at Daryl, who was waiting for his brother to speak. To tell him the reason why he hadn't wanted Daryl to know that he was still alive. "Looks like you've flourished here, Daryl," he started, unwilling to spill his secret yet. "You got yourself a pretty lady and a nice comfy bed." With a smile, he patted the mattress behind him. However, Daryl did not return the smile.

"Don't change the damn subject, Merle," he almost growled. "I deserve to know."

And he did. Daryl deserved more than what Merle could offer him. It was one of the reasons why he had faked his own death. "Fuck, I know you do." He looked up at the darkening sky and closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"Martinez was in on it," he finally said. "In fact, without him, my ass would probably be dead for real. When I got shot, he was the first one to get to me. Thought he was going to finish the job, but didn't.

"He told me to close my eyes and no sooner than I did, I heard Blake's voice. 'He dead?' he had asked and Martinez said yes and Blake was happy about it. Should have known the bastard would turn on me."

"I did warn you that he was up to no good," Daryl pointed out. He didn't do it smugly, which Merle was grateful for.

"Well, Blake went on to chase after you all, Martinez stayed behind. Telling me that Blake would want me to turn, so I needed to get out of there. Despite having a fuckin' bullet in my shoulder, I got up and got out of there. But before I went, I told him that if he ever ran into you or the group you were running with, to not say anything about me being alive."

"Why?" Daryl demanded.

"Because I saw how you were with that woman. For that brief moment, you looked happy and you didn't need a prick like me to drag you down. Like I've done all my life."

"I ain't goin' to disagree about the prick part, but you're my brother. I'd never want you dead or just gone," his voice grew soft. "I love Carol, more than I ever thought I could and I love you too, Merle. I'm glad you're back. Just don't go and mess shit up, because if you get kicked out, I ain't comin' with. I got too much here to lose."

This time when Merle spoke, it was devoid of his usual snark and was replaced with sincerity (something rarely heard in it). "I'll try." And he really would. For Daryl.

* * *

When Daryl and Merle walked into the common room, dinner was almost ready and thankfully, Rick had gotten to Glenn and Maggie before they saw Merle. However, when Glenn looked at Merle, he didn't seem as angry as Daryl thought he would be. The young man approached them, Maggie not far behind. She was the one that was glaring.

"Merle," Glenn said, face unreadable. "Thanks for the knife." And that was it. The young man turned on his heel and walked away, leaving behind two confused Dixons.

"Um..." Daryl started and looked at his brother for answers.

"Blake had me question him and then, wanted him dead. So I may have set a walker on him while he was tied up, but left him a knife so he could defend himself." Merle shrugged and acted as if that wasn't something he would normally do.

Daryl felt his chest swell a little in pride for his older brother. He could have easily set the walker loose and walked away without giving Glenn any type of protection. But he hadn't. It meant that Merle had cared and if he cared, that meant that maybe he would actually try to play nice while at the prison.

"Come on," Merle said when Daryl opened his mouth. "Let's grab somethin' to eat and afterwards, you can show me where I'll be callin' home. Never thought I would live in a fuckin' prison," he muttered. "Spent all my life tryin' to get the hell away from them."

Carol passed them two plates when they approached. She gave Daryl a smile, but pinned Merle with a look that had Daryl questioning, not for the first time, what they had been talking about earlier before he walked up to them. "I'll save you a seat," Daryl said to Carol and squeezed her hand before following Merle to a table away from everyone.

Daryl was glad that things had gone much smoother than he had thought. Maggie still glared at Merle, but since he had saved Glenn's life, or helped save his life, she wouldn't say anything. She was still angry that Merle had been the one to bring them to the Governor in the first place and Daryl understood that completely.

"You know, I was lookin' for you out there," Daryl spoke when they were settled in their seats.

"Huh?"

"Milton came up to me today and said that you were still out there. As a walker. Martinez told him."

"Son of a bitch," Merle swore. "Martinez promised not to say anythin'...don't suppose I blame him, though. Suppose I should thank him, too." Merle looked up and grinned. "How surprised do you think Milton will be when he sees I'm still alive and kickin'?"

"He'd probably faint." Daryl chuckled, picturing it vividly in his head.

"That'll make it even more worth tellin' him." Merle joined in laughing with Daryl. This was what he missed having with his older brother. Something to laugh good-naturedly about. It hadn't been like that in years and Daryl knew that things weren't going to change overnight for them, but he started to have hope.

* * *

That night, Carol and Daryl laid pressed together in their small bunk. Though, Daryl wished they had been able to set up their bed in their new home, he didn't mind that Carol had to sleep so close to him.

"You okay?" Carol's sleepy voice broke the silence of the night.

Daryl had been lying awake for hours, staring at the bottom of the bunk. "Yeah. I'm good." He turned his head and kissed her forehead.

"We didn't get a chance to talk about Merle after dinner. Do you want to now?" After the dinner dishes were cleared away, Carol had gone to hold Judith for a little bit before putting her to bed and Daryl had gone with Merle to show him where he would be sleeping. Then, Rick had asked to speak with Merle alone and Daryl had let him. When the two men returned, they looked perfectly normal and Daryl was proud that his brother hadn't seemed to pick a fight with their leader.

Once Carol and Daryl had met at Carol's cell, they had both been exhausted and practically fell in a heap on the bed. Daryl had slept for a few hours before waking up for an unknown reason. "Everythin' is...good between us." He smiled in the dark, glad to say the words aloud. "We still have a few things to work out, but I'm just glad he's back."

Carol wrapped an arm around his waist. "I'm glad he's back, too, then. For you. And I'm sure he'll be a valuable asset to the group."

"I think he will, too. Just as long as he doesn't start shit and stays clear of Michonne. I saw the way he was starin' at her during dinner. She'll chop his balls off with that sword of hers if he gets too close." Carol giggled into his neck.

"True," she agreed.

Daryl rolled over and gathered Carol in his arms. "Hmm, let's stop talkin' about my brother and get some sleep. The first thing we're goin' to do tomorrow, after breakfast, is set up that bed."

"I'm totally down for that."

* * *

"So, wait. All this time, you were making yourselves a little house up there?" Glenn caught Carol and Daryl on their way back to the rest of the prison when it was time for lunch and since everything was now set up, Daryl decided he would tell the young man what they had been up to.

"Yep," he answered.

"I'm surprised no one figured it out." Carol smiled. Rick, seeing the shocked look on Glenn's face walked over, deciding to see what was going on.

"We just thought you were going to the tower just to...do it."

Carol and Daryl's face flamed. "Nope. We decided we wanted a space away from everyone and the tower was the perfect place."

Glenn turned to Rick and opened his mouth. "Can M-?"

"Nope. We need that tower for watch and already, no one appreciates that you and Maggie go up there to be alone." This time it was Glenn's face went red. "I'm sorry, Glenn, but Carol and Daryl beat you and Maggie to it."

"Hmph. Fine. We'll take the Warden's office." He turned and stomped off.

"Have fun getting the blood out of everything," Rick called after him, chuckling. Daryl wasn't the only one who liked to mess with the younger man. When Glenn disappeared from their view, Rick turned to them.

"While you two were gone, Andrea decided that she would be staying at Woodbury."

Carol smiled. "With Milton, right?"

"Well, she didn't say that exactly..." Rick mirrored her grin. "Anyways, since Milton has taken over, we will be diplomatic with Woodbury. Though we don't have much to offer them at the moment, but he has agreed to set up a trade with us. He even offered all of us a place there...but I told him no."

"We fought hard for this place and we lost people we loved," Carol said, understanding Rick's decision.

"Right." Rick got a far off and sad look on his face, remembering his late wife. "Anyways, lunch is ready and you two are free for the rest of the day. So if you would like to..."

Carol blushed a bright red, but Daryl grinned at the other man and wrapped an arm around Carol's shoulders. "Oh, we intend to."

* * *

At dusk, Carol and Daryl emerged from their tower. Large smiles plastered their faces and though they had spent most of the day making love, they could not take their hands off one another.

"I love you so much, Daryl Dixon." Carol kissed him hard and buried her hands in his already messy hair.

"Enough to become one. A Dixon, I mean?"

Carol took a step back, surprised. "Are you asking me to marry you?"

"Um," he gulped. "Yes. So, uh, will you?"

"Yes!" She threw herself in his arms and kissed him passionately.

At the start of the apocalypse, Daryl had thought it would just be him and Merle until the end. Then, he had seen Carol and her daughter at the quarry and everything changed. Now, he had his brother, a secure place to live, people he considered family and the woman he loved.

Daryl Dixon couldn't be happier

* * *

_To my husband,_

_Of all my letters you have read, this is the only one addressed to you and it is the only one not meant to put on a grave. Thank God._

_As I'm writing this, you're lying naked in our bed with the sheets bunched around your hips. Do you know how beautiful you look while you sleep?_

_I'm still in awe that a man like you, a wonderful man, would fall in love with me. This past month (God, has it only been such a short time? I feel as if I have known you forever, Daryl), has put me through a whirlwind of emotions. Fear over being lost in the tombs, grief over losing my best friend, hope at looking into Judith's small face, surprise at meeting you in Woodbury and knowing who I was, happiness at being reunited with my family and love at getting to know you better._

_I would not change any of that for the world. The only thing that I would change is to have my daughter here with us. You would have loved her, Daryl and she would have loved you._

_You're stirring, which means soon you'll find out I'm not in bed with you and you'll wake. The purpose of writing you was just to let you know how much I love you and how glad I am that we met. I am so proud to call myself Carol Dixon now._

_Love,_

_Your wife._

* * *

**I just want to say a big thank you for all of those who took the time to read this story. I really appreciate it. I am so sad to not be writing for this anymore since it has been part of my life for almost a year now, but it was time it came to an end and I hope it was satisfying for you all! :)**


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